Absol-ution
by Lonely Riolu
Summary: Absol are, to say the least, neglected by humans. Follow an Absol named Riku as he goes from a wild beast that hates humans to... Well, the story itself will show what he becomes. He will do great things on his journey with a female Trainer Rosa and her team. Heavily influenced by another fanfiction called "Spirit's Journey".
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone. Lonely Riolu here. First of all, I want to say I'm sorry. I have been completely neglecting my Pokémon/Hunger Games fan fiction but I have an excuse! I have a better idea now! It's purely Pokémon so I'm going to feel much more comfortable writing this one instead of the other, which of course means Pokémon Hunger Games is now an abandoned project. I'm sorry to those who wanted me to continue, but my passion for Pokémon is too strong for me to continue mixing it with something I know barely anything about. So, without further ado, let us enter my new story: Absol-ution.**

**Chapter 1: Where It All Began**

Chasing, hunting, hate, murder, being skinned, sold, neglected and abused… My species was, and still is, subject to having all these unpleasant things done to them. Who is behind all these actions, you may ask? Humans, of course. Humans are behind everything bad that I had encountered up until then. I hated them, as you may well sense from how I speak of them. I hated them with a dark, homicidal passion that burned like a dark, violent flame. My soul was filled with hate and murder to which I subjected all humans that happened to cross my path. And all this abuse towards my species for being horribly misunderstood. We Absol have a unique ability to predict natural disasters and weather, which we had tried to warn humans about for centuries. But we were often mistaken for the cause of the disasters because humans figured out that we knew they were approaching.

My name is… Well, I couldn't tell you my name back then because I didn't know it. My parents died in a raid some humans in red suits executed when I was still a cub. I managed to survive because my white fur hadn't grown yet so I was easily hidden by the shadows of the cave we lived in. My parents, with their dazzlingly white coat of fur, weren't so lucky. They… Well, let's leave it at that. I still haven't quite gotten over the whole thing, especially with the adventure I'm about to share with you all, whether I like it or not.

I was running down the rocky slopes Mt. Coronet. It was, much to my dismay, snowy as always. It was perpetual winter all year round and I was lucky enough to at least have a thick fur coat to prevent me from turning into a popsicle. But I had another way of keeping myself warm, though it wasn't as pleasant as my natural garments. It was the occasional human hunting crews that came for me so they could skin me and sell my fur coat for huge amounts of this thing they called money, though I didn't understand what this money was nor did I care because stopping to ask would get me shot between the eyes.

I heard a Houndoom's howl, indicating that it probably a trace of me. Darn mutts, always so compliant to succumb to a human's control as long as they got to kill stuff. Or a juicy stake every now and then. I found it funny back then, as freshly killed Magikarp and Clefairy were obviously superior options! They have this succulent, satisfying taste to them that just drives me insane just with me thinking about it. Oh, I'm drooling. Hold on, I need to wipe my jaw.

So anyway, I was getting tracked and I was getting very desperate. I was tired because this was the third hunting crew that day. Usually there were two at most but that day apparently was "Kill an Absol or be damned to the Distortion World"-day.

Then, out of nowhere, well actually, from behind a tree, a Houndoom jumped right in front of me. I locked eyes with it just before it opened its muzzle and fired a big stream of fire at me. I was lucky to live in this environment because I had to dodge wild predators as well, such as Sneasels. Hate those pesky little nuisances. My eyes blinked and I sidestepped, letting the stream of fire hit the snow instead, causing an avalanche. The Houndoom whimpered and ran. I jumped onto a big rock to save myself from the rolling mass of snow and looked smugly, a look of satisfaction on my face.

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that to fry my fur, you mutt!" I shouted after the Houndoom running for its life. I laughed maniacally and proceeded to return to my small den. But just before I reached my so-called home a brownish streak flew past me and before I knew it, I had a big cut on my face. It didn't hurt that badly but it was bleeding, so much so that there was a small puddle of blood on the ground in front of me after only a few seconds after the cut had been made. I looked around furiously, trying to locate the monster who had ruined my beautiful face. Yes, I'm a male who cares about his face. Shut up, you'll never get a proper mate if you don't start taking care of your features. Anyway, I suddenly heard a human voice to my right and I directed my gaze in that direction. It was a female human in heavy winter clothing and a shoulder bag that could probably fit a year's worth of something the humans referred to as makeup. I had seen a female human wearing a lot of it once. Trust me, it's not a sight for sore eyes. But this particular female seemed mostly authentic. But what caught my attention was the Linoone standing next to her, smirking at me like it had just pulled the funniest prank in the world on me. I projected my hateful gaze in its eyes. The human spoke.

"Oh, wow! An Absol! Oh, it's so cute! And it looks pretty strong, too. Let's catch it, Streak!"

The Linoone, apparently named Streak, nodded and got on all fours and directed its gaze at me. It spoke in a feminine voice.

"No hard feelings, Absol. My master wants you for her own and I'm just following orders. I do hope we can get along after you get used to being her Pokémon."

I think now would be the proper time to mention that I hated, and I mean, HATED tamed Pokémon. Always walking at their precious Trainer's side and talking like being held captive and made to fight for your captor is the best thing in the whole god damn world. Let me tell you, I despised tamed Pokémon almost as much I despised humans because they were the ones holding us captive. Plus they… Well, I guess it would be best if I continued the story.

"No one is going to capture me, you hear? You attempt to capture me and I will cut you in half and tear out your internals." I spoke with a low, rumbling, murderous tone, trying my best to intimidate my opponent, as that is one of us Children of Darkness' most powerful weapon: fear. A frightened opponent is an easy opponent. But this Linoone seemed to ignore my threats and just waited for its Trainer's command. I found it odd, why would a Pokémon need the help of a human to battle other Pokémon?

"Streak, let's start with a Headbutt!" the human commanded. Streak launched at me at blinding speed. I barely had time to react. My eyes blinked again and I sidestepped, allowing Streak to move right past me. I then turned myself around and pounced at Streak. I pulled my claws back to prepare for an attack. Suddenly, the human shouted a command.

"Streak, use Double Team!"

Suddenly, Streak split into tens of clones of her, surrounding me. I gazed around myself, my jaw ajar and my eyes showed my full confusion much too clearly. The clones, or should I say afterimages, of Streak smirked at me and then, out of nowhere, the real Streak attacked me and I got hit with a Headbutt that knocked the air out of me. I landed on the snow and slowly got back up. Streak was looking at me with a satisfied look on her face. But when she spoke she had a hint of concern in her tone. The kind that I hated, like I needed to be pitied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I too rough on you?"

I got back on my feet and growled, but with no real intimidation in it. I was barely breathing, which in itself was a big surprise for me, having had my insides probably rearranged and having had my stomach caved in. I wasn't bleeding, at least on the outside, but I felt like I was going to cough blood quite soon. I could barely stand and my vision was growing faint. The last thing I heard was the human shouting something I could not make out anymore. The last thing I saw was some red, round object headed straight towards me. The last thing I smelled was the fresh scent of the snow under my feet. The last thing I felt was the round object hitting me on my forehead. And as I lay there, inside it, the last thing I tasted… Was the bitter, venomous taste of defeat. I lost consciousness after a weird click that echoed throughout the object I was in.

I woke up in a strange room, tied onto a type of bed. It smelled… Weird in the room and my head started spinning after a few minutes. It wasn't healthy to be in that room, it couldn't have. I heard some chatter outside the room and recognized a voice. The female human whose Linoone I had battled. How long had it been after that, I wondered? A day? Two days? Maybe a week? No, it couldn't have been that long. I could never have forgiven myself if I took a week to recover from any fight.

Then the door to the room opened and an Audino stepped in. It had a nurse's hat and gloves on and it seemed a bit too glad to see me awake. It approached me without fear, probably because I was tied onto the bed and couldn't really move much. The Audino started poking me in different places. First it poked my cheek.

"Hey! Cut that out!" I snapped, begging for it to work. But the Audino didn't even flinch. Next it poked me in my side. It stung a bit.

"Ow!" I yelled. The Audino kept stopped poking, probably satisfied to have found the location of my most severe injury. Next it took a form and started writing.

"Level?" It said, as if it was asking me.

"What's a Level?" I asked, as I didn't know. I guess it was human terminology.

"Moves?" It said, again as if asking me.

"The he-?" I was interrupted by a very hard slap on my cheek. The Audino stared into my eyes, and I won't lie, I was legitimately scared. I was shivering under its empty gaze.

"No swearing. There are young Pokémon here, good sir. Now, moves?"

"How am I supposed to answer if I don't know what you're asking me?" I replied.

"Alright, your Trainer's Pokédex will keep track of those."

I flinched as the Audino mentioned my Trainer. That's right. I was now in captivity, stripped of my freedom and made into a human's slave. I was ashamed of myself, but at the same time I was livid. I started squirming in my ties, growling ferociously.

"I am no one's slave, you hear? I'm a wild Pokémon and will never be tamed! I belong in the wild and nothing's going to stop me from returning there! I'll kill every single one of you if that's what it takes to get free! I'm stopping at nothing to regain my freedom!"

The Audino stood there, seemingly unaffected by my threats. It just kept examining me.

"Mmph!" I grunted as it forced my jaws open. I was trying my hardest to close them and maybe bite the Audino's head off in the process but it held my mouth open regardless.

"Subject's fangs are in top shape." I grunted very audibly after the Audino let my jaw close again. Then it started fiddling with my fur.

"Hey! Stop that! It took me hours to groom that fur! _Hours!_"

"Subject's fur coat is in impressive form for a wild Pokémon. Fur is thick and firm, and has a glimmering shine to it." I was flattered at these words but still had no intention of warming up to this violation of my personal space. Next the Audino started examined my legs.

"Subject has very strong legs, no bones broken and no lack of muscle mass." I was getting very irritated by this predicament.

"Hey! Don't touch that!" I suddenly snapped.

"The subject is also male."

It was a complete nightmare to lie in that bed. It had been a whole day and all I could think of was escape. That, and murder and freshly killed Magikarp. Then, suddenly, the door opened and a human walked in. It was the girl who had captured me. I was literally fuming as she approached me, and as she reached me and tried to pet my head, I barked very threateningly and she withdrew her hand in fear of not having it anymore. I smirked maliciously and she looked at me, first in disappointment and then in happiness. I was confused when her face went from what it first was to this… Happy grin.

"You're not going to let me off easily, are you? Well, that's good. I like a challenge. You are going to make a great battle partner. How are you feeling? My name is Rosa. Rosa Ryo. What's your name?" I merely growled at her. She smiled and then put on a more ponderous look.

"What should I call you? You say your name is 'Grrrr' but I don't want to call you that. Instead, I'm going to call you Riku. Yeah! You look like a Riku, even! That's settled then. Your new name is Riku. Hope you like it!" I bit my fangs together and growled again, but to no avail. She was too entranced by her choice of name for her newest prisoner. After that I was near breakdown. I had been humiliated, captured, inspected in all possible places, stripped of my confidence and now a name that I had no say in was forced on me. I felt, I won't lie, pathetic. I usually had an air of confidence and intimidation around me, but right then and there, I felt like burying my face in my paws, never to lift it up again. But alas, that wasn't an option, as in a couple hours I was lifted off the table and taken into a room upstairs. The human I was now a slave of, Rosa, carried me in and put me on the floor, giving me a look of… What's the word? Right, sympathy. A look of sympathy as she watched me sniff around and trying to find any conceivable method of escaping. I wasn't about to let myself be held captive if I had anything to say about it. Then, I heard a voice. It came from the direction where the bed in the room was.

"Oh, don't feel so nervous. You'll get used to it eventually." I turned around and saw the Linoone, Streak, lying on the bed, obviously enjoying herself and the comfy mattress. My eyes lit with hatred and I pounced on the bed, my hackles straightening and my mouth twisting into a mean snarl. I would have cut her throat out, I definitely would have, but before I could do anything I was being sucked into the object Rosa had thrown at me to capture me. I had heard them call it a Poké Ball. In a matter of seconds I was back in the metallic ball, in the darkness, which I enjoyed to a surprising extent. But I was still looking around frantically, as I hadn't been awake in this Poké Ball before. I had been unconscious when I had been carried to the Pokémon Center. There was not much there, just the metallic structure of the ball and a surprising amount of space. I hesitantly took a step and, I guess to my pleasant surprise, I was free to move inside the ball. Then, I heard Rosa's chatter, no doubt directed towards Streak. Just the thought of that Linoone disgusted me. But, even with all these negative thoughts, I still managed to find her… Fascinating, to say the least. After all, she had managed to defeat me. She must have been a strong fighter, even if her Trainer was giving her commands. I was sure she was perfectly capable of holding her own. But I quickly brushed those thoughts aside and went back to despising her and Rosa with all my power.

"Do you think Riku will be able to get used to adventuring with us? I mean, he doesn't seem like the most compliant Pokémon alive. Oh! I know! I bet if he met the whole gang, he would soon warm up to us and we could make him into our new friend!" Rosa's enthusiastic babbling just made me wish she would shut up for once. I don't know exactly what Streak thought of this idea but I'm sure she agreed completely. I, on the other hand, found it to be a horrible idea. I decided to go to sleep, as it was getting very late. I would put on my jerk in the morning and make sure no one would come to like me. I was not going to get integrated into this mess and I needed to find a way to escape.

The first night was very… Odd. At first I was sleeping fine, but then my dream started to change into a darker environment. It formed into some old ruin with torches indicating what I assumed to have been an entrance but what it was now was something that seemed like some poor Pokémon had used Explosion there. I carefully approached the ruins and went in with my claws ready to kill anything that dared step in my way. At first it was silent, not even the wind was blowing, but suddenly I heard something, like a ghost floating by. I whirled around and saw a Pokémon I had never seen before. I seemed to be made out of a black cloth, had a red collar around its non-existent neck and had a long, white streak of cloth flowing behind it. It seemed to only have one eye, or maybe the other one was hidden behind that white cloth. Its hands were very harmful-looking, with three appendages on each hand that looked like a cross between a finger and a claw. It came closer and I backed up, but eventually I bumped into a wall. I growled and showed my fangs to scare the creature off but it was no help. Is it me, or was nothing afraid of me then? But as I thought that I had met my end, the Pokémon, instead of cutting my head off, spoke to me. His voice felt very silenced, as if he had a very bad cough and tried to speak with the ailment.

"Ah, you have found your way into the Ruins of the Night. This is where I reside. I don't get many visitors but when I do, oh am I happy to have them. What's your name, son?" I hesitated, as I knew nothing about this person. I was definitely taking a defensive stance at that point, but chose to speak until it was unnecessary. I didn't want to fight him for some reason. I felt… Afraid, I guess that's the best way to put it.

"I don't have a-", I said, but then remembered the name Rosa had given me. I didn't want to admit it but I actually found my new name to be quite fitting. So I answered his question.

"My name is Riku."

"Ah, you have a fine name, my child. My name is Darkrai, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed courteously as he introduced himself.

"Your child?", I asked, confused about his words. He looked me in the eyes.

"All Dark-type Pokémon or as you call them, Darklings, are my children. I am the start and the end of the darkness." Suddenly, a bright light lit up near the ruins. Darkrai started acting strangely, like he needed to get out of there.

"Darn. My nemesis is here. I need to go. But before I go, I want to say something. Please do visit me here whenever you please. You are a Darkling, and as such you can come here whenever you please. Just set your thoughts on this place and you'll find yourself here." He started to melt through the floor.

"I look forward to your next visit, my child." He said this just before his head disappeared under the ground. I didn't have much time to process what Darkrai had said before the light got closer and brighter. It blinded me and I woke up in shock. I looked around frantically but found myself inside my metal prison. I sighed heavily and lay back down. Darkrai's words still echoed in my head…

**Thank you for reading the first of many chapters of Absol-ution. If you liked it, please review so I'll know if there's anything I could improve on. For now, this is the Lonely Riolu signing off. Have a wondertastic day, you all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Good day to anyone reading this. This is LonelyRiolu and I'm happy to tell you that I've constructed what I could call a publishing schedule. What this allows is consistent additions to the story and a certain time for potential reviews to be written. So, I'll be aiming to add a new chapter twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My schedule might, and probably will, change into once a week once school starts again, but for the summer, I'll try to stick to this schedule, maybe even add chapters a bit more frequently. This schedule allows a lot of time for me to write and spellcheck, take care of any inconsistencies, correct any foul language I might have written in etc. Again, I hope you will review my chapters, as it helps me to bring better content to you all. But enough of my babbling. Here's the next chapter.**

Chapter 2: Rosa's Friends

I was, to say the least, relieved when Rosa let me out next morning. But that relief soon evaporated when she got in my face with a very disappointed look in her eyes and her cheeks pouted. I snarled, showing just how little I cared about her disappointment. She pulled out my Poké Ball again and stood straight. She was surprisingly tall. Not on the same scale as, say, a Beartic, but still moderate. She lifted my Poké Ball to her eye level and spoke.

"You know what this is, right? This is what I will keep you in if you don't behave yourself. If you don't start acting more friendly towards my friends, I'll be forced to put you on my PC or send you to Professor Oak for training." Neither of those options sounded pleasant. Eternal sleep or the life of a lab rat. I figured it would be better to just play nice for now. Though I wouldn't be very social, that I wanted to make clear. I turned around, walked to a distant corner and lay down there, giving her a mean look. She sighed and put my Poké Ball away.

"Well, at least you're not trying to gut me or Streak anymore." Then she perked up.

"Oh, right! I wanted you to meet the gang today!" She pulled out two Poké Balls. First I assumed one of them was Streak's but then I noticed her lying on the bed. I showed my fangs briefly but then turned my attention back to Rosa, as reluctant as I was to meet more simpletons that had surrendered themselves to her. She let out two Pokémon that I recognized by species. There was a Talonflame and an Umbreon, the latter of which caught my attention.

"_A Darkling, huh? This might not be as idiotic of a group as I thought…_", I said in my head. I rose, putting on my best look of indifference. I walked over to the two and briefly sniffed them, like I had done whenever I met someone new in the wild that didn't instantly try to kill me. The Talonflame smelled like burned ash and… Was that beak polish?

"You smell strange. No offense, I guess", I said. The fire bird just scoffed and turned his head away like a snob. Then I moved onto the Umbreon. He was pretty well groomed and he had a loner's air about him. I might actually get along somehow with him.

"Hello. My name is Umbra. And you're Riku, I presume", he said.

"Yes," I replied, "that's the name I was cursed with by your Trainer." Umbra growled quietly and sat down, staring in my eyes. His blood red eyes were quite menacing.

"Listen here, bub. I might not be as…", he glanced at Streak as he paused, "… outgoing as some others in this group but I am loyal to Rosa and will defend her with my life. So you better show some respect to her or I promise, you'll find yourself back in that bed you woke up in." I backed up, taken aback by Umbra's threatening speech. I was obviously going to have to be careful with what I said, they all seemed like respectable fighters. I turned to the Talonflame once more.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name", I said, trying to sound at least a bit less hostile than before. The fire bird glanced at me in a degrading way, like he was so much better than me. I tried to contain my anger.

"My name is Gale. And you reek of dead Rattata." His voice was very snobbish, like he was raised in a royal home.

"It's a… Pleasure…", I replied, angry sarcasm all over my voice. I could tell I was not going to get along with him in a long while. I distanced myself from the group but was soon bothered by one other pest. Streak. She approached me with a somewhat timid look on her face. She curled up next to me in the corner. I was not comfortable with her just invading my personal space like that. I growled quietly.

"Why did you come here?" I asked her, implying that I didn't like it. She looked down at the floor.

"I was hoping we could start over, without the whole fighting each other until one drops thing. I want to be your friend, Riku. But I also want you to be a bit less… Hostile towards my friends", she said. I squinted at her. Then I spoke.

"You want to be friends with me? And why is that? What makes you think I would want to be friends with you? You helped in my capture. I will never forgive you for it. I will never be your friend. And I will NEVER be tamed by your Trainer. I will find a way to escape and when I do, I'll try to forget about you as quickly as I can." Streak stared at me in a mixture of surprise and awe. I had clearly hit a sensitive spot. I could have sworn I saw a tear roll down her cheek. When she walked away from me I thought I felt something drilling into my heart. Could it have been… Guilt? No, that couldn't have been guilt. I despised them with all my being. Right?

Later in the evening Rosa called everyone to the main room. I, of course, didn't respond until she threatened me with my Poké Ball. I reluctantly walked over to the bed where all the others were. I gave them a mean look each, except Umbra, to whom I gave a more dismissive but not hostile look. I sat down a fair distance away from them and then Rosa spoke.

"Now that everyone's here, let's have some food." She started handing out food to each one of us. Gale got his bird Pokémon food, Umbra got his own bowl and… Rosa made me and Streak eat out of the same bowl, claiming to only have this many bowls to use. She said she would get another one as soon as possible. I didn't look at Streak, so as not to show any signs of friendliness but also not to give her a particularly offensive look either. That strange sting in my heart was still there, so I decided not to make it worse. She looked very depressed but I didn't pay any attention to her as I wasn't planning on staying there so trying to make things right wasn't on my to-do list. I finished my meal and swiftly retreated back to my corner. Streak, despite her apparent depression, smiled meekly at me, like I had just done something… Nice. I couldn't explain it at the time but the sting in my heart somehow stopped. I felt stupid.

Just before Rosa went to bed she called Streak, Umbra and me to the main room again. I got up with an audible groan that Rosa either didn't hear or dismissed. When we were all at her bed she pulled out a brush. I wasn't quite sure what she was going to do but I had a feeling it would include my carefully groomed, dazzlingly white fur I never let anyone touch. I watched as Umbra was eagerly first in line to get brushed. I watched as he allowed her to brush his back, which he arched as she slid the brush across it. Umbra's face gave away just how much he enjoyed it. His eyes were closed and his mouth was wide open in a smile I never thought Umbreon could manage. They were always so serious. Eventually Umbra was ready, walked a few, wobbly steps and collapsed on the ground, his limbs slightly shivering with pleasure that the brush had administered. I was getting curious about this. Streak joined Umbra in the floor very soon, her legs twitching, maybe slightly more than Umbra's. Now I was interested. Rosa was putting her brush away but I gently poked her leg with my claw. If I was to receive the treatment those two had gotten, I figured I should try to behave. She smiled and started brushing. I was instantly taken over by a surge of pleasure as the brush slid across my fur coat, not even messing my grooming up at all. I was soon in nirvana as she brushed across my back and I instinctively arched it, a look of absolute enjoyment plastered on my face. I soon collapsed on the ground next to Streak. Rosa smiled happily and went to sleep herself. I groaned quietly just before sleep took over. I didn't go to Darkrai, though, as all I could think about that night was that magical brush…

The next morning was actually enjoyable. Oh, did I say 'enjoyable'? I meant slightly less aggravating. Though waking up next to Streak, who was still in a deep slumber, was very awkward. I got up and returned to my isolated corner. I remembered the brushing last evening and thought that maybe living with these numbskulls wasn't so bad as long as it wasn't long term. After breakfast Rosa pulled us all into our Poké Balls, much to my dismay, and headed out to some strange, spacy hall. It had a sand field with some white patterns painted on it. She let us out and ordered us to form a row. I resisted at first but when she pulled out my Poké Ball and her brush I joined the others in the row. Rosa smirked and then spoke.

"Alright, gang! Today we'll be doing some battle training. As we have a new member, Riku, I figured it would be good to see what his Level and Moves are. I remembered the Audino talking about those. Rosa took out some strange device and pointed it at me. I growled but Rosa explained what the thing was.

"It's alright, Riku. This is a Pokédex. It keeps record of all the Pokémon I've seen or caught and what level they're on and what moves they have. It's just a helpful tool, it's not a threat to you." I calmed down but still wasn't completely fine with being measured on a scale set by humans. Rosa pointed the Pokédex at me again. It spoke in a semi-robotic tone.

"Riku. Species: Absol. Gender: Male. Nature: Lonely. Level: 44. Moves: Night Slash, Detect, Quick Attack, Double Team." My ears perked up slightly as I heard the Move named Double Team. I had never used it but I remembered that Streak had used it during our encounter. It was a really pesky move. If I knew how to use it, then what had prevented me from using it before? Though this whole business about Moves didn't make much sense to me anyway. Most of them sounded like basic instinct to me, especially Detect and Quick Attack. Rosa put her Pokédex away and smiled.

"I guess we got ourselves a pretty strong teammate. Though now I see why Streak had a pretty easy time with you, she's already at Level 50." I snarled as she said that. How dare she insult me like that? My pride had never suffered such a blow. Now my craving for revenge was even more apparent. As I was beaming at Streak, Rosa spoke.

"Alright, Riku. Let's train your moves. If you're going to be one of our teammates you need to learn coordination with my commands. You can't just mindlessly attack your opponent, you need to wait for my commands." I groaned very audibly. But so as not to cause any ruckus, I stepped up to the field. A training dummy popped up. I think it was supposed to represent a Patrat but it really didn't do its job well. It looked like a small child had tried to paint a Patrat on a piece of cardboard with watercolors. Plus, there was a bright red bull's eye in the middle. It was amusing, in a way.

"Alright, Riku," Rosa announced, "try Quick Attack!" I sighed, sent a surge of power into my legs and shot forward at blinding speed, crashing into the dummy and slicing it in half. Another one immediately popped up. I turned around to slash it in two but Rosa shouted at me to stop.

"Stop, Riku! I didn't tell you to attack the other one yet!" I seized my attack and lowered my claw with a sigh. I was slowly losing my patience with how slow she wanted me to take this. I knew how to fight, I wasn't a child who needed to be given direction for doing everything. Then Rosa gave me another command.

"NOW, use Night Slash!" Now she wanted me to attack? I would have been severely injured by now if this was a real fight. But I did what she told me to do anyway. I gathered dark energy into my claws and sliced the dummy in four different pieces with my two front claws. I returned to Rosa, feeling a small rush of adrenaline caused by this small training session. Next, a Grovyle dummy popped up. Its mouth opened and an artificial Bullet Seed started firing out of it. Rosa, again, shouted an obvious command.

"Use Detect, then Quick Attack!" Finally, she realized I can do more than one more thing at a time. My eyes blinked and I started moving through the barrage of seeds launched at me. I saw every one of them coming and dodged them, moving with a small white streak behind me, a similar one that a bad camera leaves after your hand waves in front of it, like an afterimage. Then, when I was close to the dummy, I slammed into it with great speed and it broke. I smirked, seeing the impressed looks on everyone's faces. It felt… Good? Rewarding, even? Was I actually enjoying this?

Next, a Patrat dummy popped up in the middle of the field.

"Alright, let's finish up. Surround the dummy with Double Team and then break it with Night Slash from behind." As she mentioned Double Team I tilted my head sideways to show that I didn't know what she meant. She looked at me in confusion.

"You don't know how to use Double Team? But the Pokédex says you can use it." I shrugged to show that I was just as confused as she was. But her confusion didn't last long.

"Ok, maybe it would help if you got an example. Streak, why don't you show Riku how it's done", Rosa said.

"Aye! I'd be glad to", Streak said, clearly enjoying the fact that she was tasked with essentially mentoring me. I on the other hand was dumbfounded. This Linoone was given another chance to humiliate me? If there was any pieces of my pride left, those were ripped apart at this very moment. I didn't want help, especially not HERS. I watched in anger as Streak strolled on the field and stood a fair distance from the dummy. She closed her eyes and, just before she split into at least 20 afterimages, I saw her take a very quick sidestep. So this led me to believe Double Team was based on extremely quick movement, even quicker than Detect or Quick Attack allowed. Streak stopped her show and walked back to Rosa, but not before she stopped in front of me with a smug look on her face.

"And that's how it's done", she said. I growled quite audibly as she returned to Rosa, who then turned her gaze to me, expecting me to repeat what Streak had just done. No way was I going to be outdone by her! I stepped up to the new dummy and closed my eyes. I sent as much power into my legs as I could and took a quick sidestep. I managed to create two afterimages. I was disappointed with myself. My head slumped and I sat down, depressed. I had been completely outdone. The momentary glory I had bathed in when I took down that Grovyle dummy was now gone and was replaced with spirit-breaking shame. I got on my feet and slowly walked away, back to the room we all stayed in. I lay down in my corner and buried my face in my paws. I didn't cry. I didn't whimper. I didn't even groan. I just lay there in my shame.

After a while I heard the door open. Rosa came in and sat on her bed. Then she called out to me.

"Riku? Could you come here for a moment?" I raised my head from my paws to see her spinning her brush in her hand. Despite how good the brush felt, I was very reluctant to do as she told. I did it regardless. I hopped on the bed and lay down as she stroked my fur with her brush. She spoke as she did so.

"I feel awful for putting you through that, Riku. I never guessed you had such a problem with Double Team. I know it must be hard to get used to this lifestyle in favor of living in the wild. But I want to help you. You might not be able to execute Double Team perfectly just yet but I'm sure you'll master it in a day or two, if you let me help you. I can help you become stronger than you ever could have been in the wild. I'll make you the strongest Absol you've ever heard of." I raised my head when she said that last sentence. I could become the strongest Absol? I had never even considered something like that, mostly because I used to feel invincible in the wild. But having spent a couple of days in the company of Pokémon trained by a proper Trainer I saw just how out of my league I was. I looked Rosa in the eyes, still a certain amount of feral intimidation in mine. I still didn't particularly trust these people, but if they could help me become stronger, they could at least be of use to me. And maybe, not likely but maybe, I could learn to be a bit more friendly around them Not that I'd want to but I suppose I still had a childish part inside me who wanted to make new friends. Though I suffocated those thoughts quickly and returned to my usual self. I smirked and got up. I barked with newfound determination inside me. This human really knew how to revive a Pokémon's confidence. Rosa smiled and got up as well. We headed back to the training hall and started working on Double Team. She even shooed everyone else out so I wouldn't have to worry about them seeing my potentially humiliating progress, just the end results of it.

After maybe a hundred tries and quite some progress under my belt Rosa decided to give the whole thing a go. The dummy popped up in the middle of the field. I reminded myself of the advice Rosa had given me. Imagine yourself all over the place at once. Direct all your power into your legs, step or jump and search for the next place you want to appear in. This all was to be done in a split second, the last was to be repeated multiple times. And after many hours of training and many, many failed attempts I tried again. My legs gathered power, I leapt in the air, picked several spots to appear in and took steps in the air, creating afterimages of myself all around the room. I kept moving through each one to sustain them and right then I was performing a perfect Double Team. I leapt at the training dummy in the middle of my afterimages and crushed it with my Night Slash. I stood on the rubbles of the dummy and I roared in triumph. I smirked at Rosa, who smirked back at me. The other Pokémon in her gang came in to see what the ruckus was about.

"Why don't we show just what you've learned, Riku", Rosa suggested. I nodded and returned to the edge of the field. A dummy popped up and I took my stance. I repeated what I did a minute ago and soon stood on top of a steaming pile of wood and paint yet again. I took a whiff of the air.

"You smell that? That's the smell of victory", I vaunted. My satisfaction was further fed by the looks on my team members. I walked over to them with a very complacent face.

"I know, I know. Autographs will be handed out at a later time. Right now I need to bask in my own glory", I bragged. But my moment of grandeur was soon halted by a Trainer who came in through the door, clapping his hands together in a mocking manner. He approached Rosa with his hand held out for a handshake. Rosa grabbed his hand firmly and then the boy spoke.

"My name is Arian. I am a traveling Trainer in search for powerful colleagues who seek challenge. I witnessed your Absol's presentation and, I must say, it was near perfect."

"What do you know? That was absolutely perfect, your royal numbskullness", I retorted, even knowing that my talk sounded like angry barks and growls. But I think he got the message as he acknowledged me.

"Oh, I am sorry. But I have seen better examples of Double Team before. Not to put yours down, it was quite well executed, but I have simply witnessed better", the boy responded. Then he turned his attention to Rosa again. I wasn't very pleased with this guy's first impression. Then he spoke again.

"I would like to challenge you to a three-on-three battle right here, right now. I am interested to see just how well you've trained your comrades." Rosa considered it for a moment and then turned to me.

"Are you up for it, Riku? Do you still have enough energy to battle?" I nodded and turned my gaze back to Arian. I would make him eat his words about my Double Team.

**Hello again, guys. This is LonelyRiolu. I want to thank everyone who reviewed my story and gave me feedback on the first chapter and the entirety of this fanfiction. I have changed the rating to T for reasons brought on by later chapters and the suggestion of one of the reviews. I'm happy with the reception of **_**Absol-ution **_**and I'll make sure to bring you all the best I can.**

**I will also be updating the info on all of Rosa's Pokémon and her every time it is needed. This will be the situation in which they are now.**

**Rosa**

**Age: 17**

**Gender: Female**

**A usually bubbly young Trainer on the path of the Pokémon Coordinator. This has yet to be shown in the story but she is a beginning Coordinator with no ribbons under her belt. She has taken down multiple Gyms but then decided to switch paths. Reasons currently unknown.**

**Umbra**

**Age: 19**

**Gender: Male**

**Species: Umbreon**

**Level: 47**

**Moves: Moonlight, Dark Pulse, Confuse Ray and Psychic.**

**Nature: Quiet**

**Ability: Synchronize**

**A silent, mysterious Umbreon. He has a very strong sense of loyalty and will protect Rosa at any cost. Has a moveset that combines qualities needed in both Gyms and Contests.**

**Gale**

**Age: 26**

**Gender: Male**

**Species: Talonflame**

**Level: 48**

**Moves: Brave Bird, Will-O-Wisp, Flare Blitz and Steel Wing.**

**Nature: Adamant**

**Ability: Gale Wings**

**Gale was raised in a regal environment and, as such, has absorbed behavioral patterns because of it, such as a somewhat medieval speech pattern, big gestures and a snobbish attitude. Rosa is currently working on improving on this. Has, again, a moveset fit for both Gyms and Contests.**

**Streak**

**Age: 18**

**Gender: Female**

**Species: Linoone**

**Level: 50**

**Moves: Double Team, Headbutt, Belly Drum, Play Rough**

**Nature: Jolly**

**Ability: Quick Feet**

**Streak was Rosa's first Pokémon and is therefore her strongest. Streak has a very sad past that only Rosa knows about. Her usual bubbly attitude might be a way of covering the sadness in her heart.**

**Riku**

**Age: 18**

**Gender: Male**

**Species: Absol**

**Level: 46**

**Moves: Night Slash, Quick Attack, Detect, Double Team**

**Nature: Lonely**

**Ability: Pressure**

**Riku is an Absol with a grim past concerning his parents. He is very solitary and despises humans. Though the recent training session with Rosa has made him question his beliefs ever so slightly even though he doesn't admit it, to himself or anyone else. Has a narcissistic side to him and is very protective of his well-groomed fur. Enjoys battling but dislikes having to wait for commands.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Arian Alastair

Rosa and Arian stood on the opposite sides of the arena. Both had a very determined look in their eyes. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but I had some feeling in my gut that really wanted to win. Reflecting on it now, I'd say it was competitiveness, but back then I still wondered what had caused it. I wasn't growing soft for the idea of living under a human's control, was I? I shook my head to get those thoughts out of my head and focused on the matter at hand. It was three-on-three, normal rules. We had a referee from the Pokémon Center umpire the battle. I noticed that Arian had five Poké Balls hanging from his belt. That told me that he was quite an experienced Trainer already. But I was certain Rosa and her Pokémon, including me, were better.

"Alright. Begin the first battle", the referee announced. Both Rosa and Arian threw their first Pokémon into battle. Rosa's first choice was Gale, as Arian went with a Swellow. Both flew into the air and circled around, analyzing their opponent.

"Gale! Use Will-O-Wisp", Rosa called. Gale flapped his wings, creating a flurry of floating flame orbs which he then flung at Arian's Swellow. But Arian didn't flinch, nor did his Swellow.

"Haven, dodge", he called. The Swellow, Haven, performed a barrel roll, circling around Gale's Will-O-Wisp and ending up very close to him.

"Alright, use Wing Attack", Arian continued. But Rosa was ready for it.

"Grab its wing, Gale!" Gale reacted in a split second and caught Haven's Wing Attack with his talons. Despite Haven's struggling he could not break free. I cringed. It looked pretty painful, having your wing pierced by those nasty talons. They were very sharp, I could tell.

"Alright, bring it down to the ground, Gale", Rosa commanded and Gale did as he was told. He dove towards the ground and, just before hitting it himself, he slammed Haven into it and ascended himself. Haven looked pretty bruised but wasn't out. Swellows have a nasty case of the stubborns. Haven got back up into the air, gritting his teeth together. Gale put on a smug face, implying superiority to Haven. This angered the Swellow, who at his Trainer's command crashed into Gale with a very fast Quick Attack that knocked Gale a fair distance back. He shrugged it off fairly well, though.

"Alright, Gale. Let's finish up with Brave Bird", Rosa shouted. Gale nodded. He shrouded himself in a blue veil of energy and hurdled forward at blinding speed that seemed to be quicker than Haven's Quick Attack. Taken aback by Gale's sheer speed, Haven was unable to dodge in time and, because of this, suffered a fatal blow. He dropped on the ground, unconscious. Gale was still gliding down in the air, but he was panting very heavily, having suffered a lot of recoil damage. He landed and screeched like a majestic falcon. Rosa cheered and then recalled Gale into his Poké Ball. Arian withdrew Haven, but not without some words of consolation. He was not a bad Trainer, not by his battling skill nor by his attitude towards his partners. But the battle was not over, only a third of it had been fought.

Again, both Trainers threw their Poké Balls and their second choices appeared on the arena. Rosa's choice was Streak and Arian sent out a Flareon. Umbra, who had been watching the battle from the sidelines, took a quick glance at Arian's Flareon and his eyes lit up and his cheeks got red. I took a look at this Flareon and noticed it was female and had quite good fur. I could see why Umbra was pleased with her. Umbra returned to normal quite quickly, though, and pulled at Rosa's pant leg. Rosa glanced down and noticed Umbra's eagerness to battle. She smiled.

"You want to battle that Flareon? Ok then. Streak, Umbra wants to take this one. You come back and watch, ok?" Streak nodded and sprinted back to Rosa's side. Umbra walked to the arena and stared at Arian's Flareon.

"_A hot fire burning inside her heart. You'll know when you meet her_" was what was going through his mind. He has told me this afterwards. I thought nothing of it at the time but now that I know everything, I can see why he was so eager to get in there. What? You want me to tell you? But that would ruin a later chapter. No, you'll just have to wait.

The referee started the match again. Arian was the first one to make a move.

"Shiva, use Flame Wheel!" The Flareon, Shiva, shrouded herself in flames and shot towards Umbra. Rosa smirked.

"Umbra, take it head on!" I turned my attention to Rosa for a brief moment, thinking she had gone crazy. Flareon are very powerful with their physical attacks. It would take a stone wall to stop their assault, if you're lucky! But Umbra smirked and took a defensive position, lowering his head and spreading his legs apart, gaining more anchorage from the ground. I was not expecting any good results. But what I saw next blew my mind. Shiva crashed into Umbra and… Umbra didn't budge one inch from his original position. Shiva was face to face with Umbra, which was seemingly unharmed.

"Umbra, Dark Pulse", Rosa called. Umbra's mouth opened and, before she could move, Shiva was met with a huge quantity of dark energy blasted right into her. She flew all the way into the wall behind Arian and the impact made a small crater in the wall. Umbra had a worried look on his face but it vanished as Shiva got back up. She did not look that good, though. Arian asked if she wanted to continue and she nodded, smirking at Umbra, who was quite amazed by her sturdiness. Arian turned back to the arena and Shiva walked back in. Arian ordered a Flame Charge, which Shiva then put into action. She rocketed towards Umbra, who got ready to repeat what he had just done. But, just before Shiva reached Umbra…

"Shiva, Attract!" Shiva's flame cloak disappeared and she winked at Umbra, sending a stream of red hearts to circle him. Umbra cursed under his breath just before the ring of hearts closed in on him. After that he was wobbling back and forth with hearts in his eyes and his tongue sticking out. I was banging my head against the wall. Shiva smirked as Rosa was screaming at Umbra to snap out of it. But, as we all know, Attract doesn't wear off before the battle ends. Then Arian ordered a Flame Wheel and Umbra was soon lying on the ground, steaming from the fiery attack. Shiva smirked and walked back to her Trainer, who complimented her and then pulled her back to her Poké Ball. Rosa sighed and recalled Umbra with a few comforting words. I was observing how both Trainers cared about their Pokémon. I had always wished for a family like that, one that would care for me and help me with my problems. But I had never had that. Could this be my chance to… Be a part of an actual family? I had these thoughts in my head until Rosa called out my name.

"Riku, you want to help bring this one home?" I shoved my thoughts aside and nodded determinedly. I would help Rosa win. So she sent me to the arena as Arian chose his last Pokémon. It was a Mightyena. It was snarling angrily at me.

"Alright, Alpha. Calm down. We're just having a casual battle. It's your first with me, so let's make this count!" I heard these words and then it hit me: this Mightyena, Alpha, was also recently captured and was still quite wild. It was my first battle under Rosa's command as well. I would not lose this. I would not let up, not even if the other side was having the same issue. I readied my blade and claws. Alpha barked at me.

"You're going down, you freak of nature. I'll prove the harbinger of disasters is nothing but big talk and legends." My determination was only hardened by these words. We Absol are not the disaster, we are the warning. We do not bring disaster, we try to warn people about them. These misunderstandings were why my species was endangered. I would not lose to a fool like him. Rosa sensed my tense state and so did the referee. The last battle started.

Arian called out a Play Rough. Alpha charged at me but seeing as Mightyena aren't the fastest of Pokémon, I avoided him easily, even without using Detect. Rosa called a Quick Attack and I complied, leaving a nasty gash in Alpha's side as a result of it. He growled as I came into his sight again. I saw his eyes burning with hatred. I wasn't scared, though. Arian ordered a Fire Fang and Alpha charged at me again. I leapt over him to avoid the hit but as I was above Alpha Arian ordered an Iron Tail. I was met with a hardened tail in my face and I spun around in the air, barely landing on my feet. I gritted my teeth as Alpha turned to look at me again, with a big grin on his muzzle.

"I'm having a lot of fun with this, you know", he barked. I smirked and sat down for a moment.

"So am I", I replied. Then we returned to our stances and Arian shouted a command.

"Alpha, Howl!" Alpha's hackles straightened out and he let out a howl that sent chills down my spine. He smirked and as his Trainer ordered another Play Rough he charged at me.

"Riku, stay where you are!" I was skeptical of her at first but then I remembered what had happened with Umbra. I was sure she had some sort of plan for me as well. As Alpha was just a few inches from me she gave me a command.

"Double Team!" I smirked and split into twenty different afterimages all around Alpha. He was glancing around frantically and couldn't make out the real me.

"Quick Attack!" As Rosa gave me this command I started pummeling Alpha with a flurry of Quick Attack from every conceivable angle. I left scratches and cuts everywhere in his flesh and fur. Then I heard Rosa shout out one more command.

"Night Slash!" I sprung towards Alpha, with my head blade charged with dark energy and, with the help of the momentum from all the Quick Attacks I had done, sliced Alpha with a big hit. I think Rosa might have called it a critical hit. I couldn't tell over Alpha's cry of agony. He collapsed on the ground and I stood over him, as a victor. I roared in triumph once again. Rosa ran over to me and, out of nowhere, hugged me really hard. Not hard enough to make me hurt but hard enough for it to feel awkward for me. Well, hugs in any shape or form were awkward for me. Arian walked over to Alpha and pulled him in his Poké Ball, muttering some more caring words. I was struggling to get out of Rosa's squeeze but eventually gave up. I guess I had done a good job or something like that. Streak also joined us in this moment of victory. I was proud of myself and, for the first time in my life, someone else was proud of me, too.

Arian rose up and, after Rosa let go of me, took her hand and kissed it courteously. I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I saw Rosa blushing slightly but it faded away soon after Arian let go of her hand.

"It was a great honor to battle you, Rosa. I wish you and your amazing Pokémon good luck on your journey." Then he turned around and started walking towards the door. Rosa was silent for a moment, staring at her hand, but soon snapped out of it.

"Hold on, Arian!" Arian turned around as Rosa ran towards him. When she reached him again she fidgeted with her vest skirt for a few seconds and then spoke.

"Would you like to, um… Travel with us?" Arian was slightly taken aback by Rosa's question but soon smiled and answered.

"It would be my pleasure, Rosa." They shook hands and then Rosa spoke once again.

"What's your last name anyway? I mean, we ought to know each other's full names, right?" Arian smiled.

"It's Alastair." Rosa nodded.

"Mine's Ryo. Rosa Ryo." Arian nodded.

"I'll be sure to remember that." Then they parted and we headed to our room. On our way there Rosa seemed to be thinking about something. I still don't know what it was that she was thinking.

…

"_Mrs. Alastair… Wait, what am I thinking?"_ She shook her head and opened the door of our room.

...

The next morning was quite different from what we had had until then. I wasn't giving anyone death stares but I was a bit more tolerable instead. Umbra pulled me aside from the others at one point and started interrogating me.

"Alright, what's with the happy face? You've normally given us all at least one mean look by this point in the morning. I sighed and then answered Umbra's question.

"Look. What we did yesterday was a lot of fun. I don't like admitting it, but I'm actually starting to enjoy living with you guys. And Rosa has helped me become stronger than I would have ever been in the wild. I want to be strong so I can defend my…," I paused and took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I was about to say, "… new family." Umbra's eyes widened and I swiped him across the face but without leaving any marks.

"But this doesn't mean I'm going to get all cuddly and soft on you guys! I still want to hold on to my wild side. I'll never be tamed completely! I'm my own master, Rosa's just my Trainer", I said, making sure I was understood. Umbra nodded and left me alone. Unfortunately, someone had been eavesdropping.

"Did I just hear what I think I heard?" I recognized that voice and groaned as Streak came over to me. She nuzzled up to me and put her head under my chin. I was blushing slightly, though just from the fact that I had been heard. It wasn't anything else, was it?

"I-it depends… What did you h-hear?" I said as I tried to play coy with her. But she had me, I was not getting out without admitting it to her. She stared in my eyes.

"Say it", she said, pestering me on purpose. I sighed.

"Don't make me say it again, Streak."

"Say it."

"Please?"

"Say it."

"Please let me keep whatever shreds of pride I have left."

"Say it, Riku. It's not a shame to admit what you just said. I know what I heard, I just want to hear you say it." I took a very deep breath and tried to stall until breakfast but I knew she would just keep pestering me about it. So I decided to suck it up and just spit it out.

"I want to defend you guys because I feel like you guys are my new family. There, now I can just go lie in a ditch." Streak nuzzled up against me again and I felt like tearing my fur out. She had humiliated me again. I was now certain that she didn't understand the meaning of male pride. But she was kind of cute, showing all that affection just for a few soft words.

"_Gah! What am I thinking? I really am going soft_", I thought. Meanwhile, I saw Umbra staring out of the window. No doubt longing for Shiva. I wished I could find myself a fitting mate one day. Then Rosa called us for breakfast and we all dug in, me and Streak out of the same bowl again, as Rosa had "forgotten" to buy a new bowl. But I knew she did this intentionally. I couldn't imagine why. But as our faces were quite close to each other, I could have sworn a little warmth was coming from Streak's cheeks. But I dismissed it and just blamed the poor air conditioning.

After breakfast we headed out of the Pokémon Center. We waited for Arian at the exit. He came down soon enough. He had Shiva at his side. She glanced at Umbra, at which he blushed and directed his gaze at the ground, scrabbling the ground. She smiled and approached him as Rosa and Arian started figuring out where we should head to next. When Shiva came up to him, Umbra backed up slowly with a flustered look on his face. But he backed up into a tree and soon Shiva was in his face, her nose almost touching his.

"Why, hello there Umbra. I must say, you gave me a real tough run for my money yesterday. If you were a female I'd be wrapped up in bandages right now. But, I guess it worked out just fine for everyone, wouldn't you agree?" She winked and returned to Arian. Umbra, however, had apparently lost his ability to stand. He fell on the ground sideways, like a cat with a ridiculous sweater would. He was completely stiff and the red on his face almost matched the one in his eyes. I smirked as I witnessed all this but I did feel a bit bad for him, getting bounced around like that by Shiva. The guy was in love, from head to paw. I couldn't blame him, Shiva was a very attractive female. She had style, flair and flare if you catch my drift, and a certain a very well-groomed fur. But she was a bit too... Spicy, I guess you could say, for me to be interested. I poked Umbra and he slowly got up. After a few minutes of waving my claw in front of his eyes he woke up and returned to the others.

In the meantime, Rosa and Arian had decided on a destination. It was Hearthome City. The name reeked syrup and honey all over. But Rosa had a Contest there and she was damned if she wasn't going to participate. Arian had a rematch arranged with the Gym Leader Fantina and so this plan fit both of their bills just fine. We set out southwards.

As we exited the lowest exit on the side of Mt. Coronet, which we had to pass through if we were going to get to Hearthome City, we witnessed something quite criminal. A pair of strangely dressed goons were robbing a Trainer of his Pokémon.

"Hey! Cut that out! Don't you have something better to do than bother other Trainers? Ambipom, use Double Hit!" One of the robbers, a tall man with a blue, two-horned haircut stepped in and threw a Poké Ball.

"Toxicroak, intercept with Brick Break." A Toxicroak appeared out of the ball and swung its hand down on Ambipom's tail, making it cry out in pain.

"Let's finish this. Toxicroak, Poison Jab." Toxicroak brought its hand back and charged it with venomous energy.

"We have to help him", Rosa said. She threw Gale's Poké Ball.

"Gale, stop that Toxicroak with Brave Bird!" Gale appeared and immediately rocketed at Toxicroak, enveloped in blue energy. He slammed into Toxicroak, which caused it to fly backwards and faint as it crashed into a rock. Gale returned to Rosa's side as Arian sent out a Pokémon he had not used yesterday. It was an Arcanine.

"Alright, Windy! Let's teach these crooks a lesson", he said. Windy howled. The man whose Toxicroak had been knocked out turned his attention to us.

"Hm? And who might you be? Do you not know that interfering in other people's business is very impolite? You must be what they call arrogant little children", he said.

"My name is Saturn. I am the lead executive of Team Dimension, formerly known as Team Galactic. We will have what we want and you shall not interfere." I was itching to battle and teach this guy a lesson in pain. But before I could do anything, Arian had already issued a command.

"Windy, Flamethrower!" Windy barked and let loose a scorching stream of fire at Saturn. But Windy's attack was intercepted by a Bronzong using Protect. Saturn simply scoffed and spoke into a small device.

"This is Saturn. I request an escort chopper ASAP." Almost instantly a giant chopper appeared above us as a rope ladder was thrown out of it and Saturn grabbed it. The chopper started taking off. The other person who obviously belonged to his team called his Staraptor and flew away with the chopper. The boy who had been getting robbed was still breathing heavily while he examined his Ambipom's injuries. He pulled out a potion and sprayed some of it on Ambipom's tail. After a short while Ambipom was up and about, as if nothing had happened to it. The boy recalled it and put the ball on his belt. He then approached us.

"Thanks for the save. I was really in a pickle. Those Team Dimension people are bad new, I'll tell you that much." Rosa and Arian glanced at each other and spoke in unison.

"Team Dimension?"

"They're a reformed and renewed Team Galactic that has branches in all Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and even Kalos. Their current goal is unknown but they are definitely up to no good. But I'm not one to take them on, I'm not that good a Trainer. I need to go, I have a friend to meet. See ya!" As he said goodbye he ran off. We stood there, in silence. Rosa was the first one to speak.

"I guess we should continue our journey to Hearthome then. Come on, let's go." We started walking again but Arian was pretty silent for a long while after that encounter. Rosa eventually caught on.

"What's the matter, Arian? You've been really quiet after that whole scene with that Saturn guy." Arian was silent at first but spoke after a small while.

"I have some... Personal grudges towards him and Team Dimension regarding my past. It's pretty hard for me to talk about it." Rosa gave Arian some space.

"Would you care to tell anything at all about it? We're friends, you can share anything with me, Arian." Arian didn't answer at first, which made Rosa quite sad. But after I poked his leg and gave him a look that I give when I want something out of somebody, he sighed and spoke.

"Team Dimension... Well, I'm not quite ready to tell you what they did, but they took something very important away from me. I'll leave it at that." Rosa was satisfied with having Arian talking again, so she didn't press him any further, and so I did not, either. But this Team Dimension was bad news, I could tell just from that little encounter we had.

After a while I noticed that Streak wasn't her annoying, talkative self either. At first I was very happy to not have her zipping about and annoying me but after a while I got that feeling I had gotten two nights ago. It was that drilling feeling in my heart. It kept on nagging until I decided I should talk to her, something I had never considered doing voluntarily. I sighed and walked to her side and slowing my pace to hers. She acknowledged me with a weak hello and this only confirmed my suspicions. Something was definitely bothering her, and I would have to ask her what it was if I was to get that nagging feeling off my heart.

"Streak, you've been acting kind of... Out of character. Is something wrong?" I was hoping for a simple no, but knowing my luck she would start a long monologue about what pained her.

"What makes you care?" I was baffled by her response. Now she was the one with the attitude. I groaned to myself and spoke again.

"Remember what I said last night? That." I felt so out of my element. Soft talk or talk in general wasn't what I did on a regular basis. Or at all, really. I preferred silence and fighting over words. But here I was, talking to try to find out what was bothering the one member of our team that had been the biggest thorn in my side for the entire time I had been a part of Rosa's group.

"That's sweet," she said, but without any authenticity behind her voice, "that you're worried about me, I mean."

"Well, you're a member of the team, right? I guess it's kind of my obligation to be worried about a team member." I was going to need something to slice in half if I had had to continue that conversation for much longer.

"I'm glad you're warming up to us, Riku", Streak said. I blushed slightly and had a very confused look on my face. Me? Warming up to these numbskulls? It couldn't have been true, could it? I mean, that would have been ridiculous. But somehow I found myself doubting my own doubts, if that makes any sense. I shook my head and said one more thing to Streak before I gave her more space.

"Don't get carried away. I'll never be tamed, just remember that. I'm not warming up to you, this is just a temporary phase for me. Sooner or later I'll find a way to leave. Just... Remember that!" I distanced myself from the group a little after I was done. But despite my words Streak seemed to be feeling a bit better. I stared at the ground as I walked, my eyes wide open and my mouth ajar. I thought it would be a good idea to visit Darkrai that night. If anything, then just to get these sentimental thoughts out of my head. As we reached the edge of a forest, Rosa and Arian set up camp. After all the necessary preparations and the godly brushing was done with, we all went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Farewell, Home Sweet Home

As we finally arrived in Hearthome City, Rosa squealed and rushed to a huge hall in the distance. We, of course, followed. I was still not quite sure what a Pokémon Coordinator was.

"So, what's a Pokémon Coordinator?" I asked Umbra, who was running next to me.

"A Pokémon Coordinator is a person taking part in contests held in various locations to show off their Pokémon's grace and abilities. The main idea is to utilize anything and everything the Pokémon have to offer in order to put on the most appealing show. Rosa's bets one yet has been the use of my Confuse Ray and Gale's Flare Blitz. My Confuse Ray sort of fused with the flaming tail of the Flare Blitz and gave Gale a long, flaming tail with various hues of purple emitting from it. It was quite a spectacle." I wasn't very interested. Showing off your Pokémon's grace? I'd rather be ripping my opponents apart. But, luckily for me, the contest had no more room for Rosa to enter. She slumped at the reception desk and I sat down, sighing in relief. I didn't want to be put on stage for everyone to see. Although I admit, my dazzling white fur would indeed impress everyone. But my place was in regular battles, not show business. Arian put his hand on Rosa's shoulder to comfort her. I was starting to feel a bit bad for Rosa. I mean, it had been pretty exciting for her. But then I noticed a poster on the wall. I didn't know how to read so I asked Umbra, since he seemed the most capable. Luckily, he knew how to and he translated for me.

"Coming in late? Fear not, for Kalos is has contests every week and you're welcome to join in on the fun! Ferries to Kalos depart on Fridays and Tuesdays. Don't miss the ferry and you won't miss the show!" Umbra translated. I poked Rosa's leg and she noticed me. I pointed my blade at the poster and she checked it out. After about five seconds she was jumping up and down for joy and, then, suddenly hugged me again. I pushed her away, not wanting everyone in the room to witness it. Rosa squealed again and started gushing over going to Kalos. She was talking about fashion, clothes and getting a haircut and all those things female humans seem to get excited about. I didn't understand but when she started talking about putting ribbons on me I regretted my decision to help her out. A lot.

It was Thursday and so Rosa and Arian booked hotel rooms for the night and Arian decided to go take on the Gym. Rosa told us we could roam the city on our own but that we should be back before sundown. I smirked. This was my chance to get away! I would run back to Mt. Coronet and never again would I have to hear from these people again! I was the first one to run off. Just as I was turning around, I could have sworn I saw a quite miserable look on Streak's face but I disregarded it, escape being the only thing to fill my mind. I ran through the streets, shoved small children and other Pokémon aside and focused on getting to the city gates.

As I ran, I saw a lot of things I didn't quite understand. There were boys and girls sitting on the side of a big water fountain. I saw two of them tossing a coin into it and then smiling at each other. I was confused at first but then I made the connection. They must have been a fresh couple. I didn't care much but I stopped to watch from a distance anyway. I was heartwarming, in a way. The boy pulled out a rose and gave it to the girl, who was quite surprised and embraced the boy tightly, who then returned the embrace. I shook my head, clearing it of all other thoughts aside from escape. But it wasn't long before I almost ran into a small child. He was wobbling around, probably still learning to walk, and he had a balloon in his hand. But he accidentally let it go and started crying. But just before the balloon went out of reach a man grabbed it and gave it back to the child, who stopped crying immediately and babbled something that no one probably understood yet. The man smiled and put the child in a baby carriage. Soon a woman came by and gave the baby a milk bottle. I was watching the situation very closely, without really meaning to. I was just mesmerized by the bond these three felt. But again, I cleared my head of any disturbances and started running again. But just before I reached the gates I saw one more thing. I witnessed a Crobat harassing another Pokémon. I took a closer look and as the Grobat moved around so I could see, it was a very familiar-looking Linoone… Streak!

"Hey! Cut it out, you creep! I'm not your dinner, ya hear?" She jumped up with a Headbutt but missed miserably. At first I was amused by her having trouble but then Crobat dove down and hit her hard with a Wing Attack. Streak fell on the ground, nearly unconscious. My amusement vanished and was replaced by confusion. The Crobat prepared its Poison Fang and slowly approached Streak, who was struggling to get up. I glanced around to find anyone else to help her but I didn't see anyone. The gates were right there. I could have easily left her there, to fend for herself. Then, images of what I had seen earlier that day flashed in front of me. The happy couple, the parents and the child… They all cared for each other, they were a… Family. That word drilled into my skull. I glanced at the gates, then at Streak. Would I escape and leave her, or would I pass up what might be my last opportunity to return to Mt. Coronet? I stomped the ground with my paw and gritted my teeth. I was having a war inside my own head. I didn't care for her! I wasn't a part of her family! It had nothing to do with me! She could definitely handle herself! But as I heard her cry of pain as the Crobat dug his fangs into her, something inside my head snapped. My face, which had been one of confusion and aberration, contorted into one of pure, unadulterated, and crystal clear infuriation. My blade glowed, or should I say quivered, with dark and murky energy, darker and murkier than it had been ever before. My eyes were filled with rage and my teeth grinded together like someone had scratched a blackboard with a fork. I growled with a booming, low tone and then, I struck.

I couldn't tell you the full details of what I did because it happened so fast, I still don't quite know what happened. One second I was behind the Crobat, the next I was in front of him. I turned around as his face became that of fear and horror.

"W-where did you come from?" He asked me. I just snarled as he finally felt the results of whatever I had done. He collapsed as the enormous gash on his side opened and blood soon made a large puddle on the ground under him. Streak tried to get up but was too weak and collapsed. I walked over to her, put my head under hers, of course making sure my blade didn't come close to touching her, and lifted her on my back. I carried her to the hotel/Pokémon Center we were staying and shortly after I scratched on the door with my claw, Rosa opened it and saw me carrying an unconscious Streak on my back. My blade was still surging with dark energy but it soon disappeared when Rosa started tending to Streak's wounds. The first thing she used was an Antidote, after which she gave Streak a Sitrus Berry. I stood there, making sure no one came any closer so Streak could get air. My face was, at that moment, stern and emotionless, like a bodyguard's. When night came I slept next to Streak, on the side of the bed Rosa didn't occupy. That night, I went to Darkrai.

As I entered the Ruins of the Night, I called out Darkrai's name. Soon after he rose from the ground. His voice was the same as last time, a very hoarse one.

"Ah, my child. It has been a while since your first visit. What has kept you from stopping by?"

"Nothing special. Just… Nothing special, let's go with that." Darkrai gave me a suspicious look.

"I doubt it's nothing special, my child. Earlier today, you were possessed by the energy we Darklings refer to as "Shaden". Shaden is a form of energy to which we Darklings gain access to through strong, negative emotions. You have merely had a taste of what Shaden can make you. It could make you into a transcendent being below whom even Legendaries are. But alas, Shaden consumes the user. No one can use Shaden without the inevitable side effect of losing their life energy. Prolonged exposure to Shaden is not to be advised, as it drains your consciousness as you use it. The longer you use it, the harder it is to stop using it. Power attracts even the strongest of minds, Riku." I was in horror when I heard just how much of a threat this Shaden could be. I needed to know more.

"Why do we even use it, then?"

"For various reasons. For us Darklings, it is the only power we can go to when we require power. In situations where we need power, even if we don't want to, we call upon the power of Shaden to aid us. That's why we Darklings are how we are, solitary and hesitant to attach to anything or… Anyone." He glanced at me when he said that. But now I had a different question to ask.

"How exactly did you know I have used Shaden?" Darkrai was silent for a second, but then he answered.

"My child, I have my ways of knowing. I have taken a liking towards you, and so I want to know everything that happens to and around you. But alas, we are out of time. I sense my nemesis is coming to hunt me down again. I'll see you soon, Riku. But remember, call upon Shaden only if you truly need it. If you use it without considering it first, you might find it in front of you once again. And if you do, don't bother running. You're already dead at that point." After he said those words he melted under the ground again. And, just like last time, the bright light woke me up from my sleep. I shot awake and glanced around the room. The first thing I noticed was Streak, snoozing quietly next to me, with a strange, big smile on her face as she slept. I figured it was her dream making her smile so I didn't pay it much attention. I lowered my head back into my paws and fell asleep again. But just before I did, I could have sworn I heard Streak mumble something in her sleep. But I was too tired to care.

…

"…Riku… Thank… You…"

…

The next morning was a real hassle. Rosa was packing, mumbling incoherent phrases that sounded something like: "Ohmygodwe'regoingtoKalosit'sgoingtobesomuchfun!" I didn't completely understand what was going through her mind but I wasn't too keen on finding out either. Any chances of me ever returning to Mt. Coronet were now officially busted.

"_I just had to go and play the hero, didn't I?_" I had been mentally kicking myself for the entire morning over what had happened the day before. Sure, I was glad Streak was alive, but I wasn't about to admit it to anyone, not even myself. But every passing day made it feel more and more pretentious to claim that I didn't want to be a part of Rosa's team. I realized I was slowly becoming what I never wanted to become: a tamed Pokémon. I needed some alone time before we departed for Kalos. I left the room and leapt on the roof of the Pokémon Center. It was relatively high so I could see Mt. Coronet in the distance. My head slumped and I let out a sigh and maybe, just maybe, a very silent whimper as I took my last look at my faraway home. I didn't cry, I can tell you that much. I still had my pride, of which I'd never let go. I didn't notice it at first but Streak and, surprisingly, Alpha, Arian's Mightyena, were watching me.

"Tell me, Alpha," Streak spoke, "what is it like to be a wild Pokémon under a human's command? I wouldn't know because I never experienced the wild, Umbra won't tell me and Gale is from a royal home. The only other one with a wild Pokémon's past in our team is Riku but I doubt he'd tell me." Alpha sighed.

"Streak, us wild Pokémon, especially us Darklings like Riku, myself and Umbra, see Trainers as captors who contain and control us. We have a need for freedom and being under a Trainer's power is very demeaning. I'm not quite sure what you mean you've never experienced the wild but I'll assume that means you're a bred Pokémon. I'm not as hooked on my pride as Riku, though I still find Arian is containing me too much, but I understand what he's going through. He's struggling between two choices, one of which is harder to accept but easier to attain, and the second one's the other way around. He's also weighing the pros and cons of both options. He'll be back in the wild where he's king and where he can do whatever he wants. But here he has a chance to become more powerful than he could ever be as a wild Pokémon, and, I think deep down, he also realizes that here he has a family that cares about him, and that he cares back. He just doesn't want to admit it. I think the best way for you to help him make his decision is by acting normally because if you try to sugar coat the option he's currently experiencing, he'll either be disappointed with what it actually is, or he'll become even more distant, diminishing his will to stay here. So act normal and just try to make him feel comfortable in a natural way. I know that, deep down, he wants to stay here because he has a family here. I don't know about the wild but if he had a family there, I think he'd be trying much harder to escape. He'd be running for the gates right now if he had a family waiting for him." Streak was silent after Alpha's explanation and, at this point, I noticed them. I hopped back down and walked past them without saying a word. Streak soon followed me, but not before thanking Alpha.

"Thank you for the enlightening words, Alpha. I'll try my best to make him comfortable with staying here."

I entered the room we had stayed in, only to be shooed out by Rosa.

"No time for anything else anymore, we're going to the harbor right now. We're going to miss the ferry if we don't hurry." I rushed outside with the rest, but I was secretly hoping that we would miss the ferry so I could still have a chance to escape back to Mt. Coronet. But I knew that if I attempted to escape now, Rosa would simply recall me in my Poké Ball and keep me there for as long as she felt necessary. When we reached the harbor the ferry was already boarding passengers. We hurried to the ramp leading up to the deck and got in. Rosa was panting but soon recovered. But then she noticed that something, or rather someone, was missing.

"Where's Arian?" She was looking around frantically. Though after a few minutes of searching a hand touched her shoulder. It was Arian, who had come to the ferry earlier than us, I figured. So we, or Rosa and Arian rather, headed to their cabins while we Pokémon were free to roam around the ship. Though I wasn't very interested in running around, so I sat myself at the stern of the ferry and just stared as the view of Mt. Coronet was getting ever smaller. I lay down on the deck and sighed. What mess had I gotten myself into? I kept staring at Mt. Coronet for as long as it was visible. I figured I'd never get to see it again so I took in as much of the view as I could. Or at least I would have if a certain Linoone hadn't interrupted my wistful moment.

"Um… Is this seat taken?" Streak asked. I sighed and moved to the side so she could also lay down. I didn't want her to be offended but I wasn't too willing to have another one of these conversations with her. But, instead of talking about the friendship she was so eager for us to have, she instead asked a question I wasn't expecting at all?

"You must really miss your home, huh Riku?" I was taken aback a bit by this question but soon pulled myself together and answered.

"Yes, Streak. I miss the one place I truly felt comfortable at. How is it so difficult to understand?" I was hoping my somewhat dull tone would drive her away but she just sneered and spoke again.

"It's not difficult to understand, I just don't have the same experience with a home as you do. I… I want to know just why you hang on to your freedom tooth and nail. And please, don't say it like it's obvious, you don't know where I'm coming from." I wondered just what she meant by that last sentence. But I decided to answer anyway, I might find out later.

"The reason I cling to my freedom so strongly is because of how I've lived my entire life, I feel most comfortable when I can make my own decisions and fend for myself. Where I lived I felt like a king. I felt unmatched and respected, or feared. Most likely the second one. I felt like I was on the top of the world. But then I had all that taken away from me and I was suddenly chained and I was required to listen to commands and wait for someone else to give me my food. I admit, I couldn't ever do what Rosa's brush does to me, but the delights of my freedom were, and still are, very difficult to let go of. And now I'm being taken away from the region where my home, my birthplace no less, is. I don't think I'll ever feel truly home under a Trainer's command. My home was also all I had. I… I didn't have a f-family in the wild. Don't ask me wha-", I was cut off by Streak's new question.

"What happened to your family?" I groaned and raised my voice a bit.

"And you think I'll just spill my morbid past to you? Huh? I'm not about to tell you anything about it! I've never told anyone! What makes you think I'd tell you?" My teeth were grinding together after I finished, and my eyes were angry. But Streak just answered.

"Maybe telling me about it would help. Sharing your problems with others is usually a big relief for your heart, it's like getting a huge weight lifted off of it." My angry face soon let up as my fake rage was obviously not doing its job. I sighed.

"Look, Streak. I don't want anyone to know about my past. It's painful enough to just think about it. But telling about it to anyone… It's harder than you would think." Streak rose suddenly and got up in my face, hers having shifted from her usual, happy-go-lucky one, into one of persuasive anger. I backed up slightly, as I was thoroughly surprised by her sudden change of mood.

"Listen here, Riku. You're not the only one with a troublesome past. Some of our team mates, including me, have pasts that aren't the usual. Just ask Umbra, his past isn't rosy at all, and neither is mine! So I'd advise you to tell me so I can help you deal with it." Then her face changed into a concerned look and I was starting to wonder if she had some sort of polar disorder. Then she lay down again and patted the space next to her for me to lay down on. I was cautious but still lay down next to her. She scooted closer, close enough for our sides to make contact. She pressed her head against my chest and then spoke.

"Please, Riku? I really do want to help you." I felt awkward at that moment but strangely, a part of me didn't mind. But I was still hesitant to say anything. Streak glanced up and looked into my eyes.

"Would it help if I told my story first?" I was blushing under my facial fur and I'm glad I have quite a lot of it because I sure as hell didn't want her to notice. I was out of words so I nodded instead. She lowered her head and spoke.

"Alright, I'll go first. I was born not in Sinnoh, but in Hoenn. In the vast forest surrounding Foretree City. But mere seconds after my birth my parents were shot by a group of poachers who hunted for Pokémon fur coats for money. I was still a Zigzagoon so my fur wasn't as developed yet. So the poachers just ignored me and left me there, to starve to death. They left, laughing as they had gotten two very valuable fur coats. My mother's and my father's. I was alone and helpless. I was crying. But then, like Arceus had blessed me for some reason, an old human picked me up and carried me to his house. He fed me and raised me until I was old enough to be taken to a Pokémon Adoption Center. I was immediately picked up by a young girl who called me cute and adorable and other similar adjectives. I was taken away from Hoenn to begin a new life here, in Sinnoh. I think you can deduce who that little girl was. I was raised mostly by her father, as she was still too young to become a Trainer. But when she was, I was her first Pokémon and not long after we started our adventure together, I evolved. We were very close. On the way we met Umbra and Gale, who was still a Fletchinder. His story isn't as interesting, he was just brought from Kalos to Sinnoh at the request of a royal family. But after Rosa helped the family fight off a gang of thieves they gave Gale to her as a gesture of gratitude. Gale evolved soon after, and not that long after that we came across you. So, I never knew the thrills of being a wild Pokémon, my parents were shot when I was a few seconds old and Rosa pretty much saved me from imprisonment at the Adoption Center." I was wide-eyed and my mouth was hanging open from hearing her story. I knew what it felt like to be an early orphan. She had had a lot of luck, though.

"So, would you care to share your story now, Riku?" She put her head under my chin and I finally gave in. She was good, I had to give her that much. I sighed and started telling my story.

**You'll hear Riku's story in the next chapter. Please review as it's helpful to both me and you. This is the Lonely Riolu, signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A sickly story

I tell you, I was very reluctant to tell Streak anything. I wished that I wouldn't have to tell about my past to anyone. But, as my despicable destiny would have it, I had to. I cursed under my breath and started talking.

"I was born on the very mountain you encountered me on, Mt. Coronet. It was my home for my entire wild life. I was born into a pure family, meaning my mother and father were both Absol. But mere seconds after being brought to this world with a cruel sense of humor, strangely dressed humans approached our cave. My mother and father stepped outside to try to protect our home and I hid in the shadows. The humans didn't see me because my white fur hadn't grown yet so I was completely concealed in the shadows of the cave. I remember having heard the humans laughing at my parents, most likely humored by their futile attempts at protecting our home. I remember seeing my father charging at one of the humans. But just before he could cut his throat open, the other human pulled out his gun and shot my father. He fell on the snow, limp and lifeless. My mother, however, didn't try to fight. She lurked to my father's dead corpse and started crying. I remember her shouting something at me but I couldn't make anything out of it because of the laughter of the humans. Shortly after that my mother was also lying on the snow, her blood creating a puddle on it. I couldn't do anything but stare in fear. I didn't say a word because I knew the humans would hear me. But in my head I made a promise: I would never, and I mean never, trust a human as long as I still draw breath. I swore never to forget the humen's faces so that if I ever came across them again, I could exact a very bloody, brutal revenge on them. After that I mainly lived off snow and the occasional Zubat stupid enough to try to make that cave its home. After I grew a little I took up hunting. I stocked Golbat, Snover and Clefairy and occasionally I went fishing for Magikarp. I was feared by most Pokémon living there, even most of the Machoke and Medicham didn't want any trouble. I felt invincible, I felt like a king, I felt… Lonely, sometimes, but I enjoyed my solitude and silence. Then, after maybe ten years of living on my own, humans started to come after me, for my fur no doubt. But even their tamed and trained Pokémon stood no chance against me, as I knew my environments and could use everything I had to my advantage. Then, after maybe seven or eight years after that you came along and took it all away from me. So, that's my past, take it or leave it. Please leave it." I was staring at the deck of the ship at this point. I was sad, having revisited my sorrowful past once again. I felt Streak inching closer to me. I could have smelled all the compassion that she was filled to the brim with.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Riku, I… I didn't realize how much of a scar your past has left on you… I feel so bad, forcing you to tell me about it. I think I'll give you some alone time…" she said and began making her way towards the cabin. At first I was relieved to finally have some quiet time, but then my paw just moved on its own and grabbed hers.

"No… It's fine, you can stay. I, uh… I really appreciate you for listening… It did actually make me feel a bit better about all this. I guess I realized how badly I've been wishing for at least some form of family for my entire life. But I never imagined that family would be a human's." Streak lay back down next to me. I briefly glanced at her and was caught by her eyes. I hadn't noticed how pretty they were earlier. I was… Slowly… Sinking into them…

We both jumped as the horn of the ship blew with a mighty honk. I quickly pulled my eyes away from Streak so as to avoid any awkward situations that might have ensued if that horn hadn't gone off when it did. I shook my head, clearing it of all those kinds of thoughts. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Streak, her face as red as a Pansear and her mouth a straight line.

"Should we head to the cabin now?" I asked. Streak simply nodded and we slowly walked to the cabin we were staying. Both of us walked rather stiffly as we did.

Once we entered the cabin we split up. I took my usual spot in a distant corner and Streak jumped on the bed. But even with this gap between us we still found ourselves glancing at each other from time to time. But once Rosa came in we had other things to worry about. She let Umbra and Gale out of their Poké Balls and ordered us in a row.

"Guys, for the next three days we'll be on this boat. I need you all to be on your best behavior, understand? I don't want to end up having to clean up your messes." As she said this she glanced at me. I gave her an innocent look.

"Now, Arian and I have met some Trainers today and they've requested a battle tomorrow. It's three-on-three for us. I want Gale, Streak and Riku to be in top shape tomorrow. I smirked and ground my claws together. Finally, something to get my mind off the awkward afternoon I'd had! I would once again have a chance of living in my element for a short while. I was glad Rosa realized just how much I needed this. After her talk we all headed for the dining hall for supper. And boy was it good! Having had only canned Pokémon food up to this point I was yearning for some fresh food. The Pokémon section had a huge variety of different choices and I think my eyes glowed like a child's eyes in front of a candy store. But I could not help it, I had never seen such a glorious thing in my entire life. I chose a mainly meat-driven meal but I did also have a lot of fresh Magikarp and this fish called Finneon, I think. It tasted a tad strange and its tails glowed oddly. But I was too hungry to care, as I hadn't eaten anything that day. I excluded myself from the others but soon I was joined by Umbra, who had a very vegetarian taste, as his bowl was filled mostly with lettuce and apples.

"I noticed you have been much less at Streak's throat. Is there something you would like to share?" My head shot up and my face took on a slightly irritated look.

"What are you implying, Umbra?" He didn't even flinch. He merely answered.

"I'm just saying. Though I'm glad you're finally warming up to our family, Riku. It's good to have another Darkling in it, I've felt a bit like an outcast even though I'm treated just as well as anyone else." I continued eating my meal but spoke when my mouth was empty. Manners are important. And I might get some stains on my fur coat if I spoke with my mouth full. I gotta keep that thing clean, after all. Can't have my dazzling white fur getting ruined.

"I've heard that you have a rather unusual past in addition to me and Streak. Care to tell me about it?" As I asked this question Umbra went silent and walked away with his meal.

"_Just as I managed to make things right with one, I screw up with another. Damn it!_" I thought. I decided to ask Streak about it after supper.

After supper I started searching for Streak. First I checked our cabin. To my surprise, she wasn't there. The only one there was Gale, who seemed to be tending to his feathers. I left the room and continued my search. I ran around the ship, searching everywhere, but I couldn't find her. I was getting desperate. I mean, knowing about Umbra was one thing but if she wasn't on the ship that could only mean one thing… No! I dismissed those grim thoughts and kept on searching.

But, instead of Streak, I ended up running into two men wearing hunting vests and black stocking caps. I noticed the rifles on their shoulders. I couldn't see their faces from behind, which is where I was. But one of them turned around and, for the first time in my life, I felt genuine, crystal clear, unadulterated fear. The man was the one who had shot my father and mother on that fateful day I was born. But aside from fear, I had something else roiling up inside me… Rage-driven muder.

Without really thinking about it, most likely because I was blinded by my rage, I jumped at the man and knocked him on the ground. The other one pulled out his gun but I put my claw on the other one's throat and snarled. He quickly lowered his weapon, indicating that my message had gotten through. I started talking to the man I had pinned down. Of course, it was all snarling, growls and barks to his ears.

"You! You were the one who shot my father! I've been living in hell because of you! I ought to slice your throat open and tear out your entrails! I ought to drive my blade deep inside your chest and carve your still-beating heart out! I ought to cut off your limbs! I ought to make sure you never see the light of day again! You're a monster! You're a monster and I ought to slay you like one!" I raised my blade and prepared to strike. I swung it down and was well on my way to revenge. But mere inches before my blade sliced his throat, someone tackled me off him. I flew a few feet but landed on my feet. I looked around to find the one who had stopped me from killing that man. Then, I saw Streak, panting heavily. I realized she had been the one who had stopped me.

"What the hell are you doing, Riku?" she shouted. I just stared at her.

"You were going to kill this man! How could you just go around killing innocent people?" My pupils shrank as she uttered the word 'innocent'.

"Innocent? INNOCENT?! You claim this man to be innocent after what he did to me? Tell me Streak, what would YOU do to the ones who slaughtered your parents?" She looked shocked for a moment but then her anger came back.

"I would protect them from you, apparently!" I was completely taken aback by what she said. It took me a moment to realize just what she had meant, but once I did…

I couldn't help it. I still don't know just what came over me, but I collapsed. I fell on the deck, completely crushed by what she had said. These men were the ones that had killed her parents as well? But how could she not want to kill them? I didn't understand it at all. I tried to speak but only one thing escaped my mouth.

"Why…?" And apparently that was all Streak needed.

"Because I've seen and heard of enough bloodshed. I don't want to cause any more actual pain to anyone. And I damn well am not going to let it happen to anyone if I have something to say about it. Riku, violence consumes you if you continuously resort to it. You'll become nothing but a murderous beast if you always use violence to solve your problems. You might have lived a terrible life because of these men but it doesn't mean you can't be a better person than them." She was walking closer to me as she talked. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the man I had attacked getting up and slowly pulling out his gun. But, to my surprise, his friend stopped him. He put a hand on his the man's gun, pushed it down and shook his head. They walked away quietly. Streak was only a few inches away from me now.

"I know it's difficult to let someone you hate go but as Rosa's teammate you are capable of so much more than revenge. I promise, once she's done everything she can to us, including you, you'll forget you ever hated those men. Instead you'll be enjoying the finer things in life like family and… Companionship." Did I sense the slightest bit of hesitation as she said that last word?

I was speechless. All I could do was stare. Stare at this Linoone who had chosen to walk the straight and narrow path and not slip off. I could never be as kind as she was. Not that I'd want to!

"Come on, let's get back to the cabin, ok?" Streak nudged me and I snapped out of it. We walked to our cabin once again.

On the way I noticed Umbra staring at the sunset. I felt kind of bad about what had happened at supper so I decided to try and make up for it.

"Streak, I would like to apologize to Umbra for something. I'll catch up soon enough." Streak nodded and headed for the cabin. I swallowed and approached Umbra.

"Hey, Umbra. I'm awfully sorry for what happened earlier-"

"She's quite a treat, isn't she? Streak, I mean." I jumped back slightly at the sudden question. I was taken completely by surprise.

"W-what do you mean, Umbra?"

"Just answer my question, Riku." I was dumbfounded by Umbra's straightforward approach.

"Um, yeah, I guess."

"You guess? You two have been quite close to each other over the elapsed day."

"Umbra, if you're implying that me and Streak-"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm just stating what I've observed. And no, it's not a bad thing if you like Streak. I did too, when I started out in the team. But then I realized she was too energetic for me. But I think you two would go well together. She has a way with keeping you in line, at least." He smirked as he said that last bit.

"Umbra, we're not-"

"You're in denial, Riku. You're still a bit new so I can understand that. But you'll come to understand that she is quite a good match for you. But to tell you the truth, you're not the only one with, um, affection issues." I was confused at first but then caught on. I was partially glad he had said all of that.

"It's about Shiva, isn't it?" For the first time after his and Shiva's battle I saw Umbra blush.

"I, uh… Yes. It's Shiva. I can't help it, it feels like her Attract has a permanent effect or something. Every time I think about her I just… You know, go soft and start thinking about things like family, courting rituals, children… What you do with a mate." I was starting to feel awkward about this conversation but I figured this would be a good way to make up for my mistake.

"Well, I'm no expert on mates and courting but I say you just need a bit more confidence. You're a very mysterious guy, always alone and looking like you're lamenting about something. You're very impressive in battle, playing the role of an impenetrable wall that'll stand in the way of any attack to protect his family. I'm sure you're very desirable, you're just a tad shy."

"You think so?" Umbra asked, a silent hint of gratitude in his voice.

"Tell you what, I'll ask Shiva to come here tomorrow evening so you two can have a chat. Sound good?" Umbra looked at me with a clear expression of appreciation. I felt good about having made up with Umbra. After our talk we headed to the cabin and went to sleep. I went to Darkrai that night.

I woke up at the Ruins of the Night again. Darkrai was already there, waiting for me. His expression showed a degree of disappointment. I was confused as to why that was.

"My child, didn't I tell you that getting attached that human and her Pokémon was a bad idea?"

"Yes, you did. But I can't help it. It's the first family I've ever truly had. And even if it means that my use of Shaden will be more probable due to my bonds with them, I'll gladly take that chance. They've won my heart for now. I'm ready to dedicate myself to them." Darkrai sighed in disappointment.

"My child, the path you've chosen is dangerous. But I cannot influence you anymore, so I'll just move on from that. You encountered your most hated soul today, isn't that right? Why did you not kill him? Are you perhaps becoming too soft for murder?"

"I don't see myself getting softer. It was because of Streak's kind words that I didn't kill him. I realized that I will indeed become nothing but a bloodthirsty monster if I continue on a path of pure violence." Darkrai took another sigh and I was getting very annoyed at this point.

"What's so wrong with me having a family? Huh?" I snapped. But then, out of nowhere, Darkrai let out an enormous wave of dark energy that made me fall on my knees.

"Silence, Riku! You are not in a position to question me! I am your superior, I am your and all other Darklings' origin! Without me you wouldn't be here! Yet you still have the nerve to raise your voice against me?" I was trembling in fear.

"Well? What say you, my child? Will you go against me or do you still want me to give you advice? I don't expect you to follow them. But I will be there to remind you of any mistakes you've made by not doing so."

"I… I'll continue hearing your advice, Darkrai." I slowly got back up, my legs still shaking. But then, as Darkrai's tone of voice returned to normal, I felt fine again.

"Now, Riku. I have something to tell you. There is a Pokémon deity that threatens all of reality. This deity is Arceus. He and his henchmen have dedicated their lives to the destruction and recreation of reality. I lead a small rebellion against him. We are few at the moment but I believe you and your team would make for some very useful allies. I've informed my fellow rebels of you and they all agree that you are all top notch and that your cooperation would be much appreciated." I was completely dumbstruck by these news. Arceus, the rumored god of all Pokémon, was leading an organization dedicated to recreating reality itself. But not soon after Darkrai's news a bright light appeared near us once again.

"Darn! One of Arceus' henchmen has come to pester me again. Remember what I told you this night, Riku. We hope to have your team working with us to save our world. Until next time, my child." Darkrai melted through the ground again and I was, once again, blinded by the bright light. I shot awake and noticed that it was early morning. I got up, exited the room and went to the stern of the ship to ponder what I had heard from Darkrai.

"_Arceus… Leading the recreation of reality?_" My thoughts were soon interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"Good morning, Riku. You look amazing in the light of the sunrise, by the way." I was, surprise surprise, Streak. But her pep was quickly deflated as she saw the worried look on my face.

"What's wrong, Riku?" She sat next to me and I sighed.

"Streak, I have a lot to tell you…"

**Sorry to have taken so long with this chapter, I've had a small writer's block and I had to force myself to sit down and write. Maybe the reason to my lack of inspiration has been the fact that I haven't received any feedback recently. I really mean it when I say it helps if you review my chapters. I would really appreciate it if you did because it allows me to improve on any mistakes I'm making.**

**Riku: Basically, review or I'll leave you with a nasty gash in your side!**

**Me: Riku! You can't just start threatening people to get reviews out of them!**

**Riku: But I wanted to see if it would work!**

**Me: Well… Maybe just this once… *Glances at you***

**So please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Double date

"What!?" Streak snapped after I told her about how I had visited Darkrai in my dreams and how he had told me about Arceus' plans. I had trouble believing it myself but Darkrai seemed sincerely worried about stopping Arceus and his forces.

"It's true. Every bit of it. Arceus is going to wipe the world clean and remake it for reasons I cannot imagine", I answered her bewildered exclamation. She stood there for a while, out of words, out of thoughts as far as I could tell. I inched closer to comfort her, as much as my pride was telling me otherwise.

"Don't worry, Streak. Darkrai has assembled troops to combat Arceus. He has asked for our assistance if we ever have the chance. He sounded pretty confident about it all, even though Arceus is the god of all Pokémon. I wouldn't be too worried about it." I was lying, of course. I was shivering inside, fearing the simple fact that Arceus was planning on wiping the world out of existence. But I couldn't let Streak sink into despair. I couldn't bear to be the reason for her depression if it ever occurred. Streak lifted her head, he mouth curling back into the smile she always carried with her. I smiled back to support her false sense of security. She walked back to our cabin but I headed towards Arian's for some love doctoring… Damn it, author! Why would you make me say that?

When I reached Arian's door I was about to scratch the door when Alpha walked out. I pulled my claw back so as not to poke his eyes out. He was surprised at first but soon recovered.

"Oh, Riku! What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm looking for Shiva. Do you know where she might be?"

"Oh, I see. Riku's hot for Shiva, is he?" He smirked as he said that. I blushed slightly but didn't let it show.

"Just tell me, you jackass. It's nothing like that."

"Fine, fine. She's in the grooming salon getting her fur coat, well, groomed."

"Thanks, Alpha. But remember, this is not what you think!" I ran off as I finished my sentence and headed for the salon. As I entered the place I was immediately met with a wall of the scent of fur spray and different gels. It was both bad and oddly intoxicating. I soon located Shiva and walked up to her. She was viewing herself through a mirror.

"My my, they sure did a nice job with my fur. I look even finer than before", I heard her say. I had to say, she did indeed look quite ravishing. Her white fur was curled up and her red fur had been brushed into a messy but stylish condition. One could almost say I was admiring her but I didn't have time for that. I approached her.

"Hello, Shiva", I greeted. I wasn't much acquainted with her yet so I found a more official tone to be fitting. But she didn't see things my way, much to my dismay.

"Oh, if it isn't Riku!" She immediately drew close to me, our sides making more contact than necessary. I was starting to feel the heat of her inner flame increasing. I wasn't prepared for this.

"Did you come to see my new looks? I understand completely, dear." I backed up a bit as I realized what she was hinting at. I gathered myself and answered her.

"No, nothing like that! I actually came to see you on my friend's behalf. You see, he has been wanting to make your acquaintance for a while now. I think you might know who I'm talking about, aware of your effect on us males as you are." I spoke as politely as I could, not wanting to give the wrong idea but also not wanting to make her lose interest.

"Is it that Umbra guy?" She asked. I sighed in relief.

"Yes, it is." I was hoping that she would agree to meet Umbra so I wouldn't have to give him the bad news.

"Well, any guy who can just stand there and take my Flame Wheel like nothing deserves a chance. I hope he's as bold as he is on the battlefield, I like my males confident and unafraid. But you know, if Umbra really isn't my type, I know who I'll be goin' after next…", she cooed and rubbed her side against mine.

"_Don't give in to it! Don't give in to it! Don't give in to that really nice… soft… fluffy… fur…_", I screamed inside my head but soon lost focus. I quickly shook my head and cleared it of all such thoughts. I backed off.

"R-right. Ok, I'll tell Umbra to meet you at the stern tonight. I hope it all works out", I said and hurriedly walked out of the salon. Her scent was still drifting around me but I ignored it as best as I could and headed to our cabin. I found Umbra there, pacing back and forth, nervous about something. He changed completely as he saw me, though. Before I knew it he was in front of me, asking me questions I was and wasn't expecting.

"How did it go? Did she agree? What did she look like? Is she allergic to black? How is her-"he was interrupted by a half-baked slap in the face from yours truly.

"Umbra, you need to snap out of it. She likes her men bold and confident so put on your best everyday act and some flirt and you'll have her no problem. Otherwise she'll mark me as her target so I suggest you succeed, for both our sakes." Umbra was listening carefully, sighed in relief, sat down, put on his usual, emotionless look and tone.

"How's this?" He asked.

"Great. Now, I think it would be best to practice a bit before your date. It's tonight so we'll have some time to do that. But who should we practice on? I don't know anything about female demeanor. I think it would be best to find a female to help us."

"What about Streak?" Umbra asked. I was dumbfounded at first but then realized Streak was the best option we had. And Umbra had been interested in her before so it would also supply a small dose of realism into it. So we decided to ask Streak. We found her in the usual spot, on the bed, relaxing. I climbed on the bed and Streak noticed me instantly. She got up and was in her usual, perky mood.

"Hey, Riku. What brings you on the bed?" I ignored her greeting and just got right down to it.

"Streak, Umbra and I have a favor to ask you."

"Huh? A favor?"

"Yes, a favor. You see, Umbra has a… Meeting with a certain someone tonight and would like some help with how to act on a… Formal assignation, or a date, to be blunt." Streak's face went from perky to gleeful in zero seconds flat. She jumped off the bed and right in front of Umbra, who backed off but retained his composure.

"You have a date? Oh my Arc- uh, I mean, gosh! Who is it?" I was getting annoyed by her enthusiastic inquiries so I tried to speed this conversation along.

"It's-"

"It's the Flareon, Shiva, from Arian's team. During our battle she caught my eye and I've been infatuated by her ever since. Riku has set me up for a date with her tonight and I was hoping you could help me prepare for it, seeing as you are the only female we could ask for help from." I was completely taken aback by Umbra's forward approach on the matter. But seeing as he had it handled I decided to just watch as they practiced.

"Ok, so what do you already know? How does she like her males?"

"Riku mentioned she like her males bold and confident."

"Alright. This helps me with behaving like her. Now remember, the date will most likely not go just like this one, so you'll need to adapt to the situation. But I'll try to be as Shiva-ish as I can." They began their practice and I was watching in fascination, as I had never courted in my life either so this could also serve as a good opportunity for me to learn.

"So let's start with when you arrive. How do you greet me?"

"Um… Hello, Shiva. You're looking lovely this evening. May I take a seat?" I was very impressed with Umbra's first try, as far as my opinion went. And it seemed to satisfy Streak as well.

"Good. Now how do you continue?"

"Uhh… I don't really know…", Umbra admitted and his ears slumped a little. But fortunately Streak was pretty forgiving.

"It's ok, Umbra. Riku, where did you find Shiva?"

"At the grooming salon. She was having her fur groomed and I think she had some new perfume."

"There you go. Use that information to your advantage", Streak advised.

"Ok… How was your day at the salon today?"

"How did you know I was at the salon? Did Riku tell you?"

"No, no. One would be blind not to have noticed your new style and scent. They are exquisite, I must say." I was practically staring at Umbra at this point. I was wondering how he was so fluent with courting regardless of having no experience on it. Even Streak was surprised.

"Wow, Umbra! You're quite the gentleman inside, I see", she complimented. Umbra smiled and blushed a little.

"I try to be as polite as I can. Can we continue?"

"Sure, let's", Streak answered and then continued her lesson.

"What do you give her once you're at this point?"

"Uhhh… A small present, like a flower?"

"Exactly, Umbra. But where are you going to get those?"

"I saw some in the main lobby of the ship. I could snag one."

"Alright. Now how do you present them to her?"

"Umm… I have a little something for you." Umbra then made a gesture that resembled placing the flower behind her ear. Streak blushed, seeming actually flattered by this gesture. I studied their interaction keenly.

"Why, thank you, Umbra. This was awfully nice of you." She scooted closer to him, showing affection for his gesture. Umbra kept his composure.

"It was nothing. I had to do something special, it's not every day that I meet a female of your capacity. You're strong AND you're charmingly attractive. I'm surprised you're not taken already." Streak backed off, her face getting redder than Umbra's eyes.

"Umbra, I think you're ready. Just keep your composure and do what you do and you'll have Shiva no problem", Streak said and then jumped back on the bed, her face full of… Was that sadness I detected in her eyes, as hard as she tried to hide it? Umbra headed out with a big smile on his face but I stayed in the room as I was worried about Streak. I jumped on the bed and scooted closer to her.

"Streak, what's wrong? You got all weird suddenly", I asked, not expecting an answer. But, again, my ability to read other Pokémon was proven to be utter garbage.

"Why is it that no male ever goes for me? It's always those feminine ones like Shiva who get the males' attention." I was not really surprised by her effusion.

"Well, the first thing us males see in a female is what they look like. Shiva is, as much as I don't want to admit it, very attractive. She carries herself very confidently and has a way with males. Also, she doesn't headbutt them on sight", I said, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work, as Streak smirked and stopped sobbing. She turned her gaze to me but I tried to avoid it as I didn't want the situation to get awkward again. I still remembered that ship horn that had blasted my ear drums that morning. But when Streak lowered her head back on the bed and her eyes slowly filled with small tears, I couldn't help it anymore. I had to say something. I had that guilt thing in my stomach again.

"Would you like to come to the prow of the ship with me tonight?" I groaned after asking that, feeling very out of my element.

"W-what?" I heard. I turned my head and was met with Streak's eyes staring right into mine.

"What did you say, Riku?" She asked again. I spoke but not out of my own will, as if on instinct.

"I said would you like to come to the prow of the ship with me tonight." I could see Streak's eyes widening and mouth opening into the biggest smile I had seen in my life. That guilt thing in my stomach went away very quickly as she spoke.

"Yes! Yes, I would. I'll definitely be there!" She said and ran off. I was partially clueless about what had just happened. I got up and stood there for a while but soon came to a realization.

"I need to get myself ready."

I was still not quite sure what I had gotten myself into but I started doing miscellaneous things to get myself ready for that night. First I went to the salon's males' section and had my fur groomed. My bang was curled outward rather than how it was usually, inward. All the knots in my fur were removed and my fur coat was made silky soft and smooth. I tell ya, it was the best grooming I had ever had. After that they polished my blade and claws, which I also enjoyed. It felt good, seeing my blade shine in the light of the salon. I was very satisfied with what they did to me as I was viewing myself through a mirror. The rest of the afternoon I spent with other small arrangements like getting a flower, making sure I had the demeanor down, gestures and such. I utilized everything I had learned from watching Umbra.

**(At this point I'll switch to Umbra's POV.)**

As the day turned to evening I went to the stern of the ship to meet Shiva. She wasn't there so I figured she was arriving soon. I brushed my fur to make sure it was smooth and even. I took a few deep breaths and stared at the sundown. But I was soon met with a more delightful sight as Shiva announced her presence.

"Good evening, Umbra." I turned around and saw her, her white fur in curls and flowing in the small evening breeze the ocean provided. She was wearing a necklace with a flame pattern on it that contrasted beautifully with her white chest fur. I was trying my best not to panic. I felt my knees shaking slightly but I didn't let it show. I walked up to her and greeted her politely.

"Hello, Shiva. You look stunning this evening." She giggled as I said this. I took it as a good sign. I gestured towards the stern with my front paw.

"Please, do take a seat next to me." She sauntered gracefully towards the stern and sat down. I joined her.

"It's a very lovely evening tonight, isn't it, Umbra?"

"Yes, it certainly is. But I must say, even this magnificent sundown pales in comparison to you, Shiva." She smirked.

"Oh, hush." I smiled and she followed suit. Her smile was very charming but I didn't have time to admire her.

"So, how was your day at the salon?" Shiva gasped silently.

"How did you know I was at the salon today?"

"One would have to be blind not to notice your new, delightful style", I answered, adding a small smirk. I could see her blushing slightly regardless of her red facial fur.

"You flatter me too much, Umbra."

"Do I?" I asked, half teasing, half concerned I had gone too far. But when she giggled I felt relieved and took the rose I had taken from the lobby earlier that day.

"Shiva, I brought you a little present." She turned her gaze towards me and when she saw the rose she gasped a bit more audibly.

"Is that for me, Umbra?"

"Yes, it is", I said and put it behind her ear. I could see small tears falling from her eyes. Before I could say anything she spoke.

"You're too much, Umbra. Even with my flair you manage to stay focused and you behave so kindly towards me. All males I've met have just been verging on me and advancing straight to mating. I don't fall for males like that. Instead I tease, I tease them and leave them empty-handed. I assume that every male I meet is like that because I've met nothing but hormonal horn dogs until now. But you, Umbra… You're kind, you're subtle, and you're considerate… You're even a member of my evolution line! Thank you for not wanting me just for how I look, but also for what I'm like inside. You've been so nice to me…" She couldn't handle it anymore. She started sobbing and snuggled up close to me, crying into my chest. We lay down and I let her vent all of her frustration. I was seeing a whole new side of her. The real Shiva.

**(Back to Riku's POV)**

I arrived at the prow early, as Streak wasn't there yet. I sat myself down at the prow and stared at the horizon for a moment. What had compelled me into asking Streak to meet me here? Was I just being nice? I wanted to believe that. But I felt like there was something more to it. When she was crying, I had felt genuinely sorry for her. Was I just trying to make her feel better? I wanted to believe that, too. But that's what friends do for each other, right? That word, friend, echoed in my head for several minutes. I was Streak's friend. Was I just being friendly? I wanted to believe that as well. But as much as I tried to convince myself of the fact that I was just being nice, that I was just trying to make her feel better, that I was being friendly, there was still a nagging feeling in my gut that I could not ignore. I couldn't name it but it made me want to be close to Streak, to be near her, to help her, to protect her, to…

My thought was cut off when I heard a voice from behind me. I turned around and what I saw was nothing like I had ever seen before. It was Streak, but in a light I had never seen her in. She had her whiskers curled, her fur smoothened, her tail had a marine blue bow around it, she had a marine blue dress cloth around her waist with white lines running across it, and her left ear had another bow on it, this one being bright red. I could also see that her claws had been polished.

"Umm… He-hello, Riku." I didn't answer anything because I was rather speechless at the sight of her. She blushed and fidgeted with her paws.

"Stop staring at me, I'm getting embarrassed." I had recovered slightly, enough to think and talk again. I sensed a chance to give her a compliment and I used what I had learned from watching Umbra to apply into this situation.

"Well, it's your fault for looking so…" My brain was searching for a proper adjective.

"For looking so… What?" Streak asked and I sensed my chance fading. Then, my mind clicked.

"… breathtakingly beautiful." I felt maybe a little too accomplished by my choice of words. Streak giggled and I sighed in relief, sensing a lighter atmosphere. I walked up to her and then she spoke.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Riku. My, one could say you look socially presentable", she said in a playful manner. To me, her joke was without merit and I gestured towards the prow of the ship.

"Shall we?" I asked. Streak gave me a playful look and lay down on the deck. I joined her, giving her some room. I could have stayed there, in silence, for hours open hours, enjoying the reflected rays of light the sun behind us was casting on the ocean surface. I felt the small ocean breeze in my fur. It smelled a bit salty, but in a relaxing way.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I heard from next to me. Streak was gazing at the ocean reflecting the last rays of sunlight.

"It sure is. But I know something that trumps it without the ghost of a doubt", I replied. Streak turned to me and lay her eyes on me.

"What could possibly be more beautiful than this, Riku?" She asked. I turned my gaze towards her and focused my eyes into hers. She gasped as she realized what I was talking about. I didn't even have to say it.

"Riku…" Streak mumbled before she cuddled into my chest fur and started sobbing quietly. As odd as it was, I wasn't feeling awkward, but instead I felt something completely new… Compassion. I gently slid my head up and down the side of her neck, trying to make her feel comfortable. She soon broke apart and stared into my eyes.

"You really are something else, Riku… A ruthless killer one moment, a gentle friend the next", she said, her voice shaking slightly. That word again. Friend. She saw me as a friend. I was both relieved and disappointed, but I couldn't quite explain why. But I was content with being able to make her happy. We lay there, at the prow, for the rest of the evening, cuddled in each other's fur. My blade reflected the last ray of light the sun cast over the horizon behind us just before disappearing.

**So, that was probably my favorite chapter to write out of the ones I've written so far. I hope some of you can find the time to review this chapter and the story so far so I can improve on any mistakes I'm making. If you don't review, I'll just have to assume I'm not making any and that I'm the best writer in all fo existence.**

**So, this is LonelyRiolu signing off!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Coming to Kalos!

The rest of the trip went without much hassle, although mine and Streak's interactions were somewhat brief and awkward. I couldn't bring myself to talk to her properly after that one night. So I went back to my more isolated lifestyle, spending my days at the stern, in the cabin or, mostly, in the salon. I had taken a shine to their services. I just loved how they treated me with respect and gave me my space while still working on my fur and claws to keep them in top shape. Of course, I preferred doing that myself but there was some inexplicable charm about the salon. Maybe it was the treatment, maybe it was the calm and quiet ambience, or maybe it was the feeling of solitude I experienced there. But that all ended when we arrived to Kalos.

After they pried me off the salon door, which I hung on to nail and tooth, they walked down the ramp with me frowning in the back of the group, and Rosa put us in our Poké Balls, to which I had gotten somewhat used to by now, though I still didn't like the empty interior. If there was at least a pillow, maybe some water, maybe a salon… I'd have be fine. Regardless of being in our Poké Balls we could hear everything Rosa and Arian were saying.

"It's unbelievable that we're actually in Kalos, the region of fashion!" Rosa squealed. She could barely contain herself, which Arian noticed. He chuckled at Rosa's excitement.

"Alright, let's check out the shops!" He said, gesturing towards the multitude of fashionable clothing boutiques and hair salons. Rosa squealed once more and they rushed off to the first shop. Then, the cloths fit began.

The first boutique was a hat shop. Arian picked up a black fedora for himself and added a nifty pair of matching sunglasses on it. Rosa on the other hand spent maybe hours trying on different combinations of hats and accessories and we had to be the judges. Though she still checked herself in the mirror so I didn't know why we even had to bother. But Arian didn't seem to mind. After what felt like days we left the boutique, Rosa having bought herself a large straw hat with a pink band tied around it and red feather accessory attached to it. Next we headed for the clothing shops.

We ended up going through multiple stores because of their different selections based around different styles, like street fashion, everyday gear, sports gear and sophisticated attires. Arian ended up getting his clothes from the everyday gear boutique. His new attire consisted of a pink striped shirt on a black and white striped T-shirt, brown cargo shorts and brown short boots. His fedora was a bit too fancy to fit with that attire in my opinion but I wasn't there to judge. Audibly.

Rosa decided to get her new clothes from the sophisticated attires boutique. Her new attire consisted of a red pleated kilt skirt, a red and black tie-neck blouse, white tights and white saddle shoes. She also bought a silver necklace with a Poké Ball symbol on it. I sighed in relief, thinking the shopping spree was over. Oh how wrong I was. They still wanted to get their hairs done. Darn kids.

Arian's hair was a bit too long and messy so he had it cut to medium perm. He also had his natural brown dyed with honey color. He carefully placed his fedora on his head and was pleased at how his hair supported the hat. Rosa had her hair tied to a ponytail, dyed from blonde to burning red and sideswept at the front. She was partially unsure of how she looked, the mirror in the salon having been unfortunately busted by a previous customer.

"So… How do I look?" She asked as she fidgeted with her skirt's hem. She was blushing slightly, much to my confusion.

"You look great, Rosa!" Arian said and gestured towards the door.

"Come on, we need to reserve a room from the Pokémon Center." Rosa nodded and we all headed out. I sighed in relief because the shopping trip was finally over. But on the way to the Pokémon Center Arian noticed an accessory shop for Pokémon.

"Rosa, we could check one more shop out. I mean, our Pokémon deserve something as well, don't they?" Rosa nodded and I groaned very audibly to show just how frustrated I was about Arian's little idea. But my frustration would soon vanish as I witnessed the Dark-type section of the shop. It had accessories of all sorts that fit the image of a Darkling such as myself perfectly. There was a black and blue scarf that had a distorted spiral symbol in the front. I was immediately drawn to this particular item and poked it with my claw to show that I was interested in it. Rosa soon noticed, picked one up and tied it around my neck loosely so as not to disrupt my breathing. I viewed myself in a mirror and I liked how the scarf looked on me. I also ended up getting a small, marine blue slash symbol tag attached to my blade. Umbra was choosing his accessories with Shiva, go figure. He got himself a blue tail band and the same scarf I got. Gale got himself a golden talon ring and a red and black striped cloth that covered his whole back. Streak on the other hand was not sure what to pick. Either she didn't like any of them or she liked too many to choose only one. I decided to go help her, if only to speed this shopping session up. I looked around and saw Arian's Pokémon choosing accessories for themselves. Alpha also got himself one of the scarves I did. I felt like I was being copied left and right. Haven was trying on some talon rings but when he realized Gale had gotten one he put it away. Shiva had gone crazy with her accessories. She had a red necklace that had a blue flame symbol on it, a black and red scarf, a white bow on both of her ears, a red tail band and silver ankle rings on each leg. She winked at Umbra, who in turn blushed but didn't hide his face. This indicated to me that their date had gone well. And then there was one more Pokémon whom I hadn't seen yet but it was very keen to Arian, so much so that it hid behind his leg the entire time. It was a small Ralts. It was very timid and shy so I figured it must've been a baby. And my assumption was correct. Arian kneeled and gave Ralts a gentle push.

"Go on, little guy. I know this is your first time really being around the others but I encourage you to be brave. I'm sure they'll gladly have you", he said and the Ralts smiled and let out a cheerful cry that I couldn't decipher, meaning that it hadn't learned to talk yet, not completely at least. The Ralts inched forward, crawling along the ground. We didn't stare because we knew it would just make Ralts feel uncomfortable. But when it came to me and hugged my leg, I felt its slightly slimy baby hands wrap around my leg and, as much as I tried, I could not resist it. I lifted my paw.

"Hey! Get your baby hand off my paws!" I immediately realized just what I had done. Ralts swiftly escaped back to Arian, who in turn shot me a very judgmental stare, much like most of the others.

"Riku! I would expect you to know better than to yell at a baby!" Arian scolded me. I shot him a look but didn't say anything so as not to upset the baby any more than I had already. I made a mental note to apologize to Ralts later if I got the chance. After that we left the store and headed for the Pokémon Center once again. But when we got there, we ran into some familiar faces. Those men from the ship that I and Streak had run into were there. The one I had tackled down noticed me and pointed at Rosa.

"You! Your Absol attacked me on the ship! I want you to make up for your stupid Pokémon's actions!" Rosa glanced at me but I didn't care. I was giving the man the meanest, most bloodthirsty snarl I had given to anyone in my life. Mu hackles were rising and I let out a very low, threatening, blood-stopping growl. Rosa noticed this and, for once, acted in my favor.

"I don't know what Riku did to you but you don't seem to have any wounds. Also, he seems very hostile around you. I would imagine you've done something to him to get him to act this way towards you. Pokémon don't attack people without a reason, sir." The man was fuming with rage, the only thing on his mind being payback.

"I want to have a battle with you tomorrow. One Pokémon, you're using that rotten Absol. Understand?" Rosa nodded and walked past him, her face stern and emotionless. I growled when I passed the man.

"I will skin your Pokémon alive, slice it in half and use it as a rug", I said, but of course it was all growling to him. The rest of the group didn't acknowledge the man at all, of which I was thankful. After we got into our room Rosa pulled the others into their Poké Balls but left me out. I felt as if I was about to be scolded. But instead Rosa knelt down and asked me a question.

"Riku, is what I'm suspecting true? Has that man done something to you?" I nodded in response. Rosa stood up and sat on the bed.

"Riku, since that man is obviously someone you despise, I want to make a contract with you. How about we tear him and his Pokémon to shreds?" I glanced at Rosa as she said that last bit, completely surprised by her wording of it. I certainly wasn't expecting that kind of talk coming out of Rosa. But regardless of that I nodded in response to show that I agreed with her idea. Every fiber in my body craved vengeance on that man. And if I were to get a chance to tear up his Pokémon in the process, it would be all the more satisfying. I grinned and sharpened my claws and Rosa joined the grin. The next day was going to be good.

We walked into the arena the morning after and noticed the man was waiting for us. He stood at the opposite side of the arena and had the referee there, ready to judge the battle. Though the referee looked very uncomfortable and scared. I couldn't imagine what that man had done to make him so on edge. But it was soon revealed as the referee started stating the rules of the battle.

"This match will be one on one. Though instead of the usual, the battle will be over only when one of the battling Pokémon is…", he paused, glancing at the man, who in turn gave him a terrifying look, making the referee sweat. He pulled on his collar and then continued.

"… Dead." The man smirked. Both Rosa and I were terrified at the fact that this was actually a death match. And no doubt had the man chosen the best possible Pokémon to go against me. But Rosa wouldn't have it.

"What? Dead? You can't be serious! How can an employee of the Pokémon Center allow this kind of outlandish rule? This is outrageous!" Then, the man spoke.

"This Pokémon has disgraced me. I will have its head as payback. I am the head officer of the hunting division of Team Dimension, Havayah! I will not have a hunted Pokémon tackle me down!" Rosa's resistance stopped at the mention of Team Dimension. She was looking at the ground, not in desperation, but in anger.

"Team Dimension? We ran into one of your commanders on the way to Hearthome City in Sinnoh. His name was Saturn. After our encounter my friend was very quiet and wouldn't tell me what was wrong. But it was obvious he bears a grudge towards you guys. Anyone who makes my friends miserable will pay. Prepare to lose your Pokémon, Havayah! I think Riku will be more than glad to send it to an eternity of hell! Riku! Let's go!" I rushed to the arena, still completely amazed and slightly terrified of the pure magnitude of violence in Rosa's speech. But I liked this side of her. I felt she would command me a bit less and let me have some free will in the battle, as this was revenge from both me and my Trainer. Havayah threw a Poké Ball and, to our surprise, another Absol emerged from it. But this one seemed… Different, to say the least. Its face wasn't the usual, calm one. Instead it bore an extremely hostile snarl and it showed its fangs ti every person in the room, including me and Havayah, who gave Absol a demeaning look.

"Absol, your first assignment is to destroy and utterly murder this other Absol." I heard Absol whisper something to me before the referee reluctantly started the match.

"Please, Riku… Kill me."

I was wide-eyed at his request. Never before had I met or even imagined meeting a Pokémon who would willingly be asking me to end their life. I had no words for this situation. Suddenly Havayah called out a command.

"Absol, Slash! Slice that rat in half!" Absol sprang forward but just before he swung his claw he shouted.

"Dodge, Riku!" I heard the same phrase coming from to different directions, from the Absol and from Rosa. I acted in a split second and sidestepped so that Absol's claw hit the ground.

"Riku, use Quick Attack!" Rosa commanded. I set a surge of energy to my legs and shot forward like a white bullet, slamming into Absol and knocking him back. I had questions I wanted to ask, though.

"How do you know my name? Why do you want me to kill you?" Absol stood there, his face showing a clear hint of sadness. But before he could talk Havayah gave another command.

"Absol, use Slash again!" Absol sprang forward, but this time Rosa acted quicker.

"Riku, intercept with Quick Attack!" I sprang forward as well, clashing with Absol's Slash attack. We clashed over and over again, talking simultaneously.

"I want you to kill me because you cannot let this man continue his campaign. He's planning on wiping all Absol off the face of the land because he believes we cause the disasters we try to warn people about. I want you to win this battle so you can put an end to Havayah, preferably as bloodily as possible. I'll be watching him scream in agony from below. And as for why I know your name… Time will tell, Riku. Time will tell. Just remember my name for now. I'm Angelo. It was an honor to have made your acquaintance, Riku." Then he let his guard down on purpose, allowing Rosa to call the finishing blow.

"Riku, Night Slash!" I charged my blade with dark energy and rushed forward, cutting through Absol like a hot knife through butter. His two halves fell on the ground, his blood flowing on the ground very quickly, forming a puddle. I stood in front of my victim, sending him off with a salute only we Absol know. I stomped the ground twice and then howled in a saddening way, like when a Mightyena howls at the moon. And for the first time in my life, I shed a tear after killing. I slowly walked away from Angelo and Rosa came to me, noticing my sorrow. We left without saying a word and headed to our room. She sat on the bed and I lay next to her, my eyes slightly watery. She took out her brush and started stroking. But I just wasn't feeling as euphoric as I usually would. I had slain one of my brethren. How was I supposed to just be alright with that? Then, after a short silence, Rosa spoke.

"Riku… I don't know what to say. You won, and I'm proud of you. But I sense that you're not the slightest bit happy about it. I know I wouldn't. Killing another human, or a Pokémon for that matter, is nothing I would ever consider. Just the fact that you managed shows how much you care about this team. I'm grateful for you being here, Riku." I sighed silently, showing that her speech wasn't making me feel the smallest bit better and that it never would. Rosa just smiled and got off the bed.

"Alright, I'll stop bothering you. I know you need your own space, especially now. I'll tell the others to be careful around you for now." I was thankful about that, at least. I took my usual corner spot and lay down there for what seemed like hours. But even my dear, sweet silence was soon broken by a certain Linoone. Streak approached me carefully and spoke rather meekly.

"Riku? Can I join you there?" I glanced at her, not lifting my head. I sighed but gave a small nod so as not to seem completely anti-social again. She scooted over but didn't get too close, which I appreciated.

"Riku, I heard what you did today. I didn't think… I didn't think you had it in you. You slayed your comrade. It must have been awfully tough, even if he was in the control of an evil human. I just want to say… Uhhh… If there's anything you need, I'm here for you. We're teammates. We stick out for each other and help each other in the time of need. I just want you to know that we'll support you through any sort of problem you might have. And right now you seem very depressed, and for a good reason. Is there anything I could do for you, Riku?" I was grateful for Streak's offer but at that moment I felt like solitude was the best cure.

"Streak, I appreciate the offer. But right now, I believe the best way for me to get over this is for me to have some space and for me to be alone for a while. So if you could leave me be for now, that would be great." Streak nodded, her face full of understanding instead of disappointment, the latter of which I was expecting. She got up and hopped onto the bed. I turned my head so I wasn't facing her and just lay there, in my thoughts. At some point I fell asleep. I went to Darkrai again.

As I arrived to the Ruins of the Night I saw Darkrai pacing back and forth, not nervously, moreso waiting. I approached him and he immediately stopped. I figured he was waiting for me.

"Ah, my child. You've come to me again. Tell me, what are you so sorrowful about? You've committed a crime against your own group today, haven't you, Riku?"

"Y-yes, Darkrai. I have slain another Absol and I don't feel at all glad about it. What do you think?" Darkrai sighed heavily and turned his back to me. I was feeling the pressure.

"Riku. Darklings have certain… Guidelines they have to live by. These guidelines are "For thy own benefit, don't get attached" and "Thou shalt not slay your brothers". You have disobeyed the second one. As the elder of Darklings, I could punish you. But seeing as you didn't know about these guidelines, I'll let you off the hook this one time. But remember, if you ever find yourself killing another Darkling or getting too attached to your team, I will personally end your life. Understand?" I was speechless, my mouth hanging half-open and my eyes wide. I nodded, fearing Darkrai.

"Good," he said, "I hope your visits become more frequent. I wish to hear more from you, Riku. Just remember, don't get too attached to your team, for it is dangerous for a Darkling to have attachments, as I told you in our Shaden conversation. Now, I need to go, as my nemesis is once again here to pester me. Until we meet again, Riku." He melted through the ground and, as if on cue, a bright light blinded me again and I shot awake. I glanced around the room, as if Darkrai would be there. But, obviously, he wasn't, so I went back to sleep.

After we all woke up I stayed at my corner, still upset about what had happened the day before. I still hadn't completely gotten over the fact that I had literally murdered another Darkling, another Absol, no less! I could never have imagined that I would end up killing another of my species. I was grateful that Rosa understood how I was feeling and kept the others out of the room for as long as I was there. I eventually decided to put it all behind me. After all, I didn't want to worry my Trainer or my team. Wait, what? Had I actually gone that far already? I could feel Darkrai's presence behind me, haunting me, making sure I wouldn't get too attached. But regardless, I still exited the room and searched out the rest of the group. They were all fitting on their clothes and accessories. Oh, that's right. I didn't mention what Streak got for herself, did I? Well, I saw her new accessories just then, I figured it would be best to keep the story completely chronological. I didn't want to tell anything in advance.

Streak had gotten a new red ear bow and a matching tail band that made her tail look like a ponytail. When Rosa noticed me she instantly slapped my scarf on me. The symbol tag had been on my blade for the entire time after we got out of the shops. As much as I hated Rosa's enthusiasm about my accessories, I had to admit that I liked them, they fit me and my air very well. Then Rosa spoke.

"Alright, everyone! I'd like to announce our very first contest will be in Laverre City! I hope we can do even better than we've done before! Ooohhh, I'm so excited!" She was jumping up and down in excitement. I noticed all of Rosa's team smirk happily while I simply stood there, not particularly excited. I was just hoping she wouldn't say-

"And I want Riku to participate!" I lay down and started hitting the floor with my head. Though when I felt a large amount of stares on me I stopped and got back up. Rosa was understanding, though. To an extent.

"Riku, I won't force you to do it but I would really appreciate your help with our first contest in Kalos. Please?" The rest of the team was obviously on her side so I figured my only real option was to agree to do it. I nodded, suffered from a bad case of the cuddles and then proceeded to mentally kick myself for my decision.

**REVIEW, DAMN IT!**

**Riku: Just do it so he'll shut up about it.**


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